Over 50, moderate diet/ exercise/recipe thread

Parent Cafe
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<p>So the diet/exercise thread is humongously popular. But when I looked at it recently, it was filled with entries of folks way more into diet and exercise than me. People were listing their calorie and fat intake for the day, as well as listing details about their exercise that makes me feel like I don’t exercise.</p>

<p>So I thought I’d ask about you more moderate folk, because I am one. I exercise 5 days a week and seriously watch my diet because I have high cholesterol. But I am not on a less than 2000 calorie diet. At least I do not think so because I do no count.</p>

<p>Anyone interested in adding to this thread or is it a redundant thread?</p>

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<p>There is a real mix of us on the thread, morrismm. Right now several of us are trying to stop the “creep” of weight so hold ourselves accountable with calorie counts. Several folks are doing an exercise challenge for the month (or longer) - the Hops Challenge, and then there’s a group of us who just hit the gym and walk. So it’s a real mix, and from time to time certain groups are more active than others. There is a great deal of nutrition information for those who are interested, if not, you can just skip it. Everyone is welcome. There’s also another thread that you may enjoy more: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1160314-weight-loss-dummies.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1160314-weight-loss-dummies.html&lt;/a&gt;; different strokes for different folks. :)</p>

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<p>I’ve just started doing the couch to 5k- [The</a> Couch-to-5K ® Running Plan | C25K Mobile App](<a href=“http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml]The”>http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml) I’m on week 5 and have found this a pretty easy entry into running; something I have always hated. I can fit in 25 minutes of exercise usually and I can even do this with my dog, so I feel like I am getting two things done at once. I don’t think I have lost any weight but I do feel like I have firmed some flabby bits up. I don’t know if I will ever run a 5k but I do think I am slowly getting in better shape. I figure if I don’t diet (and I never seem to) than I better exercise more.</p>

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<p>I’m going to be honest and say I considered starting this very same thread the last couple days!!!</p>

<p>I’m not as stringent (nor do I want to be) as the folks on the diet/exercise thread, but I feel I am more involved with exercise and such as the WLFD thread sometimes!!!</p>

<p>I am 53 and have all my life wanted to be a runner. Never gave it much of a chance, ne’er succeeded. This past September I decided to start the C25K and I graduated end of December. It’s one of my greatest accomplishments! I DO have the goal of running 5Ks now. I am thrilled to consider myself a runner - a runner at my own pace and distance. I am finding that the shape of body is beginning to change with my 3-4 runs a week - little changes, but very welcome. I could care less about my actual weight number though - don’t weigh myself. The way my clothes fit are my guide.</p>

<p>I appreciate and try to practice decently healthy eating. However I am a foodie and want to enjoy all kinds of foods- including the occasional higher calorie, but delicious meal.</p>

<p>I am no athlete. I am still going to enjoy my snacks. And I will still hang around BOTH of those threads but I FULLY understand feeling somewhere in the middle. :)</p>

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<p>Onward, good work on C25K!!! Once I completed w5d3 I knew I could complete it all! You will too!</p>

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<p>^^this is what I am talking about Onward. I started out at 10 minutes of exercise. You are doing 25 minutes. That is 100% better than none.</p>

<p>That is the whole point. You do not to run a 5k. 25 minutes a day exercise is great. You do not have to become a 5k runner to be in shape.</p>

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<p>I do think you have to become comfortable and satisfied with your personal plan. And that means you need to not be intimidated by someone doing more. I have n ever felt that the people on the diet/exercise thread judge me because I am not as hard core.</p>

<p>I decide who, what and how much I want to be motivated by another groups dedication.</p>

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<p>Onward, just stopping in briefly to pass on a tip I found <em>very</em> helpful. When I looked at that W5 D3, I thought the 20 minutes straight looked very intimidating. It may not be to you, but it was to me. Anyhow, here’s the advice I was given (paraphrased). Take it s-l-o-w. </p>

<p>Keep on keepin’ on! Woohoo!</p>

<p>Morrismm, I don’t fit boxes well (for example this one – not over 50, not trying to lose weight). I march to the beat of my own drummer. Set goals that are for you and don’t worry too much about what everyone else is doing. But other people can provide camaraderie, support, tips, etc. Think of it like having a new baby. Everybody is excited and wants to give you advice. :wink: Pick and choose what works for you.</p>

<p>I like doing 5Ks because they’re fun! :slight_smile: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/14893559-post20422.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/14893559-post20422.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Ha! Don’t worry, Deborah- I am pretty slow. I am very lucky in that our yard is fairly large and tree lined. I can shuffle along and no one can see me (except the dog). However, I am getting close to heading over to the park. The nice thing about the c25k is that it isn’t every day which helps a lot in the winter. I don’t mind trotting around in the cold, but the ice keeps me in. I am very surprise that I am sort of enjoying this and pretty pleased with myself too.</p>

<p>I like the idea of this thread. Thanks for starting it.</p>

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<p>I can’t be a runner. It is too hard on my body. I can, however, work out appropriately for my age and body. </p>

<p>Today I did free weights for 20-25minutes. The weights for my age could be 2 lbs up. I use 9lbs. Then I did a 20-25 minute cardio. I like TeaBo. You can find it on you-tube or buy a DVD.</p>

<p>I also do a 55 cardio several days a week. Again I like TaeBo. But there are various other u-tube workout videos. Sometimes I just walk.</p>

<p>The important point is that you have to just move. Walk the stairs, two at a time if it is appropriate, do not take the elevator–walk.</p>

<p>The other side is food.</p>

<p>I try to limit saturated fat. I dom’t deprive myself of everything. </p>

<p>So what do you guys do??</p>

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<p>Note that you can do body weight exercises with minimal equipment. Examples include pushups, dips, pullups, planks, various core exercises, body weight squats, etc…</p>

<p>Diet wise, avoid added sugars and hydrogenated oils.</p>

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<p>@morris–I also found that “diet/exercise” thread just way over the top, and agree the “weight loss for dummies” was a little more my speed, although I haven’t checked it out lately. This is a great idea (I am 55, <em>way</em> non-athletic, trying to do the right thing these days). A group of us with current hs seniors have started a fb group and within that a subset are working on weight loss–going on two weeks now.</p>

<p>My quick recent history–started walking about a year ago, tried to add some running (and by running I mean v-e-r-y slow barely jogging), overdid it, got this tendonitis thingy, gave up. I <em>did</em> do P90X over the summer (borrowed–I hate spending money on this stuff), have done a little treadmill work since, and actually just ordered the new Tony Horton 10-minute thingy (at retail–ouch!).</p>

<p>Re: C25K, tried that last fall but for these old bones/joints even that was too much. A CC’er had recommended friending C25K on fb for more tips, and it was someone there who suggested something even gentler–running 10 seconds, then walking 50. I started that and am currently doing 60 seconds of running/60 seconds of walking, but I seem to have plateaued there for several weeks.</p>

<p>Re: diet–just trying to cut down on carbs (my downfall). I am also taking a few weeks off my nightly glass of wine with a friend. But <em>only</em> a few weeks. ;)</p>

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<p>I speak as an innocent victim of weight creep. Menopause is not for the weak!</p>

<p>Last January (2012) we bought a new bathroom scale that forced me to acknowledge that the dryer was not shrinking my clothes.</p>

<p>Bit by bit the menopausal creep had added 25 pounds … the change in metabolism plus the fact that I hadn’t been excercising much in the last couple of years. </p>

<p>I believe in keeping it as simple as possible, so I cut down on calories and started moving.</p>

<p>I just started paying more attention to what I was eating, and asked myself whether I really needed (or sometimes whether I really wanted) to eat. And I paid more attention to what I ate at mealtime, without punishing myself. Moderation in all things.</p>

<p>And then I set a goal of four or five miles a day. Not every day, but most days. I have a multitude of pathways to hit that goal. Through the neighborhood, on paths, twice around the lake. In cold, rainy, icy, snowy, hot, extreme weather I hit the mall. I sometimes run. Sometimes I walk and do a workout with light weights while I walk. Sometimes I walk the curbs or the wooden rail ties that edge the playgrounds along the paths. Sometimes I walk with a friend, and sometimes I go alone. If the weather is nice I might bring a camera or binoculars. </p>

<p>I want to feel like I’m going somewhere, I don’t particularly like the gym or most gym based classes, but that’s just me.</p>

<p>I dropped 22 pounds between January and October. I regained a few pounds during the holidays. I’m back on track again now.</p>

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<p>I also put on a few pounds between 50 and 55 years old. Finally at my last check up I tipped the scales over to the “over weight” BMI, so the doctor asked me to lose at least 10 pounds. I cut out almost all carbohydrates, which for my metabolism are just empty, non-satisfying calories, cut back on dairy, and added more lean meats and vegetables. And of course no butter, mayonaise, etc. I kept hard candy though. I needed some comfort food! I joined a Susan Marlowe gym (tiny, old gym just for women) where I basically just use the treadmill to walk/jog a mile about every other day. It took about six months, but I’ve lost 25 pounds and I feel much better.</p>

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<p>This is going to make it sound like I’m a bit OCD, but it works for me: </p>

<p>At various time throughout my adult life I’ve recorded my measurements and weight, and kept the record tucked away in a drawer. I’ve done that when I was getting back in shape after babies, for example. </p>

<p>I started keeping track again last January, and that helps keep the motivation up when I plateau on weight because sometimes exercise may be changing my body in ways I can’t tell by stepping on the scales. I don’t measure myself frequently now but last winter and spring I measured myself once a week.</p>

<p>I measure: upper arms, knees, upper thighs, hips, waist, chest under the girls, chest across the girls, chest at my armpits. It is more satisfying to me to see inches lost than weight lost.</p>

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<p>Nice idea for a thread. I’m also trying to lose a little bit of weight and firm up what’s here. Last year I gained about 3-5 pounds. At my height that puts me into the slightly overweight category again. I want to lose those pounds and about 5 more or at least get down to a better waist size. Again, at my height 3-5 lbs is a difference in clothing size. </p>

<p>I follow some simple, perhaps old-fashioned, rules for weight loss. I do count calories. Some days, when I need the extra help with control, I write it out. Other days, it’s a mental tally. I don’t worry about too many carbs or sugar. I don’t focus on high protein. My diet is already pretty low fat. I do try to get a minimum of 25g of fiber a day. A higher fiber diet seems to help me more than anything else. </p>

<p>Despite a couple of weeks of calorie counting and exercise, the scale was not going down at all so I began experimenting with calorie cycling last week. Two or three low calorie days, followed by a day of normal, or slightly higher than normal, calories. I’ve determined my “normal” range by the amount of calories I need at my goal weight. It’s been easier and allows me to plan better for a date night with H. The scale finally went down yesterday. </p>

<p>When my “normal” day arrived this week I was so excited. I didn’t go overboard, but allowed myself a small dessert. BTW-today is “normal” day! Yippee!! </p>

<p>One thing that also seems to be helping me avoid post-dinner snacking is a cup of decaf green tea. I drink a cup of a mango or pomegranate flavored tea. It satisfies my desire for something kind of sweet. If I have calories left, I might have a piece of fruit. </p>

<p>I hate most cardio exercises, but I know I need to do it. For the past couple of weeks I use the elliptical on my low calorie days. I only do about 13 minutes. I’ll build up to more minutes slowly, but it’s better than nothing. I follow that up with some stretching. I vary my “weights” routine. Some days I use free weights. I always do crunches and leg lifts. Some days I’ll do push-ups and squats instead of free weights. I’ve tried using a band in the past, but the one I bought was really made for a much taller person. It didn’t do much for me. For me, just old fashioned, grade school gym class exercises seem to be best. Nothing fancy, no programs, no equipment needed, and I can do them if I’m traveling. </p>

<p>Although I weigh myself daily, I’ve also started to take my measurements frequently. It’s another measure that things are changing even if the scale does not.</p>

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<p>Well, I’ll visit ALL the threads and apple pick what I need from each!
This one DOES seem to feel ‘just right’ though, thanks for starting it.</p>

<p>I’m 56, have been somewhat overweight my entire life, have only exercised sporadically.
Two months ago, I realized somewhat overweight had turned ugly. I joined a gym very near our house (proximity is important for me), and modified my diet a bit.
Elliptical for 30 min, weight machines, 4-5 times per week.
I’ve decided not to attach myself to a scale.
I feel much better just after 2 months. Firmer in legs and arms, better cardio ability.</p>

<p>DH, a man of few words, told me “It’s working” after a pat the other day.
That’s good reinforcement for me.</p>

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<p>I started the Weight Loss for Dummies thread about a year and a half ago because I felt the same way about the other fitness thread. It was too much for me! I will pop in here too to get ideas and please come visit us at the Dummies thread. We are still very active and many people have lost a lot of pounds and gotten a lot healthier, including me!</p>

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<p>eastcoas–I have stubbornly refused to buy a scale over the years. (Plus lately I’m afraid to–I’m quite sure the middle number is one I haven’t seen since I was pregnant.) It’s funny, though–that 10-minute thingy came with a measuring tape. You’re supposed to take pictures (no!), weigh yourself (no!), and measure yourself (maybe?) before you start and then again in four weeks. I have never measured any body part ever in my life, but I did it and I guess we’ll see. . .</p>

<p>BTW–I particularly like threads like this to read the success stories. They are really helpful and often give me ideas of things I might try since I tend to be a kind of do-it-yourself person. Keep them coming!</p>

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<p>MyLB, kudos to you on your progress with the C25K- doing it
At your own pace on your own terms IMO brings success - and that level of success is different for everyone and only needs to satisfy YOU!</p>