How many readers of this conf take special steps to maintain health, ensure
longevity, etc.  What I am thinking of is what exactly do you do (men and
women) such as running, diet, vitamins, Yoga, yearly exams, vacations, etc,
etc.   What do you do, why, and is it effective?

11 responses total.

I'm approaching senior citizenhood (I'm 53, soon to be 54), have noticed
that over the last dozen years or so my weight was gradually creeping
up despite no changes in my eating habits--to the point where I was
about 30 lbs. over what I weighed in 1980. So about a year and a half
ago I decided some changes in my diet and exercise habits were in order.
Here's what I did:
   (1) Switched to a low-fat, lower-meat diet. Cut out sweets (now I do
bagels instead of donuts, for example). Eat several smallish meals and
snacks a day rather than two or three big ones. Lots of fresh fruit,
fruit juice, and veggies. I try to keep the amount of calories from
fat well below the recommended maximum of 30% of calorie intake.
   (2) Adopted a program of regular, moderate exercise. Brisk 3-to-4-mile
walks, 3 or 4 times a week. Weight lifting and stretching exercises on
other days, following a program recommended for people in my age group.

The changes have paid off. I'm down about 15 pounds (would like to lose
at least 15 more), cholesterol count is excellent (though it was never
a problem for me), generally feel better physically and mentally, and
some foot problems have eased considerably--no doubt due to the fact
that I'm putting less weight on them, plus the stretching exercises.
   I have a yearly physical--recommended at any age, but increasingly
important the older you get. I also take a pretty hefty vitamin pill a
couple of times daily (e.g. it gives me 200% of the RDA for vitamin A,
400% of C, 2000% of B-2 per day), but I can't say with authority how
much good that does. Plus one aspirin per day--research indicates that
this benefits the heart and reduces the risk of certain kinds of
cancer.

Timely response.  I'm about the same age as John, but am quite 
lackadasical about diet and exercise.  As a result, I've gained 70 
pounds since my 40th birthday.  My annual exam was on Monday, and 
I had gained ten pounds just since last year.  (Like I was 
surprised.)  I have a closet full of nice clothes that don't fit.  

My doctor, who has been quite tactful about it up to this point, 
gave me a stern lecture.  My blood sugar, blood lipids, blood 
pressure, ECG, chest x-ray and lung function tests were all 
completely normal.  In fact, my lung capacity has actually 
improved two years in a row and now stands at 125% of predicted.  
(Often happens when an ex-athlete becomes and ex-smoker, he said.)  
But both of my parents were diabetic and there is all kinds of 
circulatory disease in my family -- so why, he asked, am I pushing 
it like this?  Am I afraid my risk factors aren't bad enough, so I 
want to make them even worse?  Without coming out and saying it, I 
think he was trying to make the point that I don't deserve to have 
such good exams every year, and I *won't* continue to have them 
unless I shape up.  I'm seriously considering it.  

Funny, I am the same age as remmers and md.  I have always been a skinny
whelp, but have a lot of medical risk in my family.  I get checkups every 2
yrs or so, do light weightlifting (very light), ride bikes, and do a lot of
physical work on weekends.  I also take daily multivitamins and an aspirin
per day.  I have done the aspirin bit for longer than I can remember because
of the claims for heart and certain cancers, namely colon cancer which has
claimed its fair share in my family.  I eat very light breakfast (cereal &
skim milk, no sugar) and light lunch (bagel & apple) but I really pig out at
dinner - no holds barred.  Even then it is lots of seafood and lots of
vegetables, poultry and lots of vegetables.  

So far so good.

About three or four years ago, I became acutely aware that my husband and I
were not paying much attention to our health or our bodies.  we had gained
mega weight and didn't have much energy or zip.  In spite of having a family
MD who empahsizes preventative medicine (we ignored his advice unless we were
ill), we were merrily eating meat sometimes 21 times a week, and scarfing down
sugar and fat at an alarming rate.  The first change we made (I took a
leadership role in this) was to cut down the meat intake.  Now, I might have
meat once a month and then a very small portion.  Jerry still eats meat about
once a week.  Then, I started decreasing the amount of fat in our food.  Jerry
cut down from eating things like french fries from once a day to maybe once
a month.  Then I started excersizing between 3 to five times a week.  For
Christmas last year, I gave Jerry a personal trainer. . .and he has taken off.
 Literally and figuratively.  Don't knw how much he has lost because she
doesn't emphasize that but he lost one size in suits and two neck sizes (all
of his business shirts have had to be altered).  His stomach is almost flat.
 He has much more strength and energy and even walks taller.  He started
seeing his trainer once a week and it took about two months for a difference
to be noticeable.  Now he sees her every other week and everyone who sees him
comments on how good he looks.

The most impressive thing is his medical stats.  His choleserol,
bloodpressure, and all the other important numbers are now in the excellent
range for a man in his fifties.  The excersizing does take up a lot of his
time.  So he reads less but feels better.  he even ran in and finished the
10K race in May.  The first time in 10 years he could do it.

I am a little less faithful with the excersize but more careful with my
eating.  Its just that I hate excersizing so much.  But I do know I can do
it and will get more consistent one of these days.

I hate stationary exercises, but I could go all day on a bicycle at a good
clip.  I believe it is the fact that you are constantly seeing new things,
even if you are on a circular track, such as the 2.7 mile track at Hudson
Mills.  

Well I am not quite as old as the rest of you, I am 27.  I too have noticed
many of these things.  When I married my wife 8 years ago I weighed in at
128lbs.  Now 8 years later I weigh in at 180.  What happened?  My eating
habits didnt change, and if anything I eat less now than I ever have before.
I am not really overweight, but I am not fit and trim.  Is this what middle
life is all about, if so please help me.

Well, 6 lbs a year probably is not noticeable until clothes don't fit anymore.
I have never been heavy, but I have seen a lot of people drop 30 or 40 pounds
over a few years of moderate exercise and being conscious about diet.

Please don't think of yourself as middle aged, bubu.  That doesn't start till
after 35.  Least not the way I catagorize things.  But yes, you do have to
work harder to keep fit as you age.  Maybe your metabolism changes or maybe
you are eating more and excersizing less and don't know it.  

Well I think alot of it has to do with the fact that I work in a factory. 
When I first started there about 7 years ago I was a grunt.  Now I am an
Operator.  That means I sit down while the machine is running.Ughhhh
Maybe i could start doin jumping jacks or something instead of sitting huh.
Or maybe just get a thigh master, It worked for Suzanne Sommers.

This response has been erased.

A LONG time ago, I met Linus Pauling when he was campaigning against nuclear
arms.  Later, I was interested each time he made the news and he got on big
kick about mega doses of vitamin C.  I watched a TV debate between Pauling
and the then head of the AMA.  The AMA guy was against vitamin C and Pauling,
of course was for it.  In my opinion, Pauling demolished the AMA guy.  That,
I am sure, was part of the reason I started taking vitamin C. 

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