Turning 65 in May; "If you want to change some things in your life, you're gonna have to change some things in your life" ***UPDATED 7-31-23***

[jonsnow]

On 2/3/2023 at 11:34 PM, Nels55 said:

I have done 16 hours fasting per day for about 7 years now.  The daily fast probably helps a bit with weight control for me but is a small part of it.  I lost 30 pounds about 6 years ago and maintained pretty well until a few months ago.  I am about five pounds over where I want to be right now because I have slipped up on lifestyle a bit.  Working on it lol!

 

You have to find your own way but I tell you a few things that have helped me:

I logged my weight every morning on an excel sheet that a friend also logged on.  Knowing I was going to weigh myself in the morning helped me to avoid eating bad stuff.

 

Saying “I don’t eat that”.  when I am tempted to buy or eat some sugary treat is useful.  Saying “I can’t eat that” means I will.

 

Avoiding or eliminating sugar is one of the best things you can do for your health!  Eating anything modified to be low fat is the worst thing you can do for your health.

 

I have found that I need to let myself over eat maybe once week to reset my system.  
 

I strove to change my lifestyle as opposed to dieting with an end goal that would end the process.  It’s a life long process.

 

Lol when you do lose weight people will offer you bad things saying that you are so skinny that you can eat anything you want.  Tell ‘em they have it backwards! 
 

Okay, I could go on but that’s enough for now…

 

Great advice! I especially like "I don't eat that" rather than "I can't eat that" for the same reason as you.

Edited February 13 by jonsnow

[Tanner25]

Good luck! I am trying to stay on a low carb and low sugar diet to avoid medicine as a diabetic. It is so hard to not cheat or eat what is served (side of potatos or pasta). I haven't tried go-lo. But, I think the mental side of this is important to recognize.

[RoyalTroon]

Keep it simple and attack the more difficult issue first, the tobacco- that's your priority.  How you work the other issues off, or around, tobacco either physically or psychologically is something you'll have to sort out maybe with wife's assistance.   I would suggest attaching walking to tobacco.  Buy some actual good walking shoes, they are made a little different in the heel area so do some research on that,  then walk, keep walking, don't stop, keep walking. 

 

 

[SBH9458]

@jonsnow Good luck and let us know about your success!

[cardoustie]

Good luck, great post

 

Just 55 myself …. and doing the same … a reboot 

 

are you getting calories from booze / beer / wine ?

 

walk when you golf, do some strength training 4 x a week, no liquid calories

 

quitting is a mindset, you have to decide you want it and are fed up and will grind thru 90 hard days 

[Hawkeye77]

What a bunch of sniveling BS! Smile, smile, smile, smile, lol.

 

Not sure how relatable this will be . . . I cheated!  Courtesy of COVID almost exactly two years ago, I lost over twenty pounds during the 4-6 weeks of being sick and pretty much lost a golf season, though I played and even went to a clinic, but spent a fair amount of time sitting down and watching Monte interact with other students the day it was really hot.  Between losing a fair amount of sense of taste and smell for awhile (took a year to come back fully) and not eating much I learned portion control! 

 

It really is about calories in and the rate at which you burn them for lbs. and exercise for whatever fitness level you want to be at (which as you know can have benefits in the weight department).  I used to come up with all sorts of plans for diet and fitness and I still think "The Abs Diet", which nobody talks about anymore, is the hands down best overall mix of advice on food and fitness (more than one book of the collection worth reading) out there. But . . . takes the will to change. I'm following its principles in general, smaller meals, more regular intake, great protein shake recipes (but you can find those anywhere), mind the fats, increase the fiber, increase the fruits, avoid the empty sugars, nothing revolutionary.  I'll never, ever run again, lol, but I walk enough playing golf, hiking in the winter, mow with the push mower vs. the rider (big yard) and losing the weight has done wonders for the knee I had surgery on a few years ago and my posture.

 

I needed motivation and found I quite liked digging out some shorts I hadn't worn in awhile and noticing some shirts looked better and so on.  I decided to keep off the weight and did pretty well, but started backsliding a little before Thanksgiving, and just by minding calories and the killer high fructose corn syrup (think drink more water!) and salty snacks that I'd starting ingesting during college football games, I got back to where I was (generally between 201-204) and since Christmas I'm now at a new range of 194 - 197. 194 is 30 lbs. down from where I was when COVID struck.  I haven't comfortably worn size 34 jeans for almost 30 years, and am now within a few pounds of my when my oldest daughter was born and they fit nicely with a flannel shirt tucked in, love looking at the old belt buckle indentations.. I figure I'll be in 33s by summer and that will be good enough, the goal is stabilizing at either side of 186, we'll see.  Still have a really, really nice and won't go out of style suit I've never been able to toss (42L that had been tailored in a bit) and put that on the other day and I am just a hair away from perfect fit . .  . just 8 years ago I had to buy a 46L "fat suit" for an event, and wasn't happy about it, but didn't do much about it. Never really looked obese, and was always pretty fit, but a lot heavier than I wanted to be, just couldn't sustain any changes.

 

All IMO and YMMV, but my experience with success (finally).

 

Hope you find a spark or whatever works to help you achieve your goals!!!!  

 

 

 

 

[Hawkeye77]

I won't add to that long post, lol.

 

One more thought FWIW, I love to cook, love my real butter, love cheese and am a sucker for sour cream on or in anything, and so on.  

 

Although portion control had been a big deal, when I cook it has become more about the flavor and quality of the dish and enjoying the experience (unless I f it up) of a tasty main or side without having to keep sucking more down, haha.  I prepared our usual large Christmas Eve spread and not much about it would scream "diet", but I was happy to limit myself to enough of this and enough of that and focused when preparing all the dishes on having them taste as good as possible - it worked!  One more thing for me my whole life, even when I was a skinny kid and skinny college/post-college kid - in terms of food, nothing good happens after dinner (same goes for liquid beverages).  I always had some sort snack growing up around 9 pm (Dad and I would be raiding the ice cream) and when I got older, whenever watching any game on TV it was chips, nachos, dips, salsa, Coke, other beverages, on and on.  So, although I allow myself the occasional little bit of ice cream (have to treat yourself sometimes) and hot cocoa in the winter a few times a week, I just don't eat after dinner, that was a tough habit to break, especially while watching football, BB or wrestling.

 

Tend to eat later in the evening in the summer since I'm usually playing golf after work, so easy in the summer, not easy late October through April.

 

 

[Hawkeye77]

Edit: site lag served up a double portion of that last one.

Edited February 4 by Hawkeye77

[Pepperturbo]

11 hours ago, jonsnow said:

If you like that one, I've got another Southern saying I think you'll like. We sometimes refer to someone as a "pudding stick" or more accurately, a "puddin' stick." Years ago in the rural South when indoor plumbing was still relatively rare, we had outhouses. They were usually built on an elevated site because "s**t don't flow uphill." In the outhouse there would be a long, sturdy stick & a bag of lime. Periodically someone would have to pour lime in & stir the "puddin" to cut the smell & help with drainage. So a "puddin' stick" is someone who likes to stir the s**t.

 

Lots of puddin' sticks among the WRX community. I'm one of them.🤣

LOL like it...  I suppose I am too.  Lightening rods in a pool of tiptoeers. 

 

As a kid, we had an outhouse on the farm, and hunting cabin up north.  Winter butt puckering walk in the middle of the night.

[golferdude54]

I would highly suggest dividing the amount of water you plan on drinking everyday by the amount of hours you are awake everyday. Set hourly reminders to drink that specific amount each time on either your phone or a smartwatch if you have one. 
 

I was 223 in January 2022 and went down to 160 (5’10) within 10 months, because I stopped drinking sodas completely and stopped eating junk/fast food the majority of the time. Sure, there were more than a few cheat meals/snacks last year but I stayed committed to it and my life has been a so much better as a result. 
 

What helped in eating better initially was ordering grocery delivery so I could avoid going to the grocery store and being forced to walk past the sugar cookies section, which was always near the entrance for some reason. Candy opposite the checkout lanes was also my weakness as well.

 

I would order a week or two’s worth of 100% healthy non-processed groceries (meat, fish, poultry, vegetables, etc.) so I’d only have healthy food in my house. When you’re eating only healthy food, you don’t actually have to worry about portion control unless you have cheat meals. 

 

This year, I made a resolution to eat completely healthy with zero cheat meals, I don’t even want cake on my birthday, I want an A1 grade steak instead!

[aenemated]

I highly recommend being a drummer in a punk rock band.

 

I've lost about 10lbs in the last 5-6months - and being half Eye-talian ... I eat a ridiculous amount of pasta haha! 

[naval2006]

Great post OP.  Highly motivating for many of us.  Keep us updated.  I need to lose 20/30 pounds.  I'm fit overall and I'll turn 50 this year.  A guy I know in his late 60's has always told me your fitness late in life is defined by what you do in your 50's.  I'm getting there finally and I can't get that idea out of my mind.  Is that true or just my obsession?  

[tm3]

If you haven't already, take a look at the book The Obesity Code.  It's written by an MD who backs up what he writes with references to the research studies, so it is probably just a little bit more accurate than random opinions from the interwebs.

[MrFlipper]

1 hour ago, naval2006 said:

Great post OP.  Highly motivating for many of us.  Keep us updated.  I need to lose 20/30 pounds.  I'm fit overall and I'll turn 50 this year.  A guy I know in his late 60's has always told me your fitness late in life is defined by what you do in your 50's.  I'm getting there finally and I can't get that idea out of my mind.  Is that true or just my obsession?  

I'm turning 66, I submit it's true, and a great obsession to have. In fact, I'd suggest staying in shape as you age requires obsession. 

 

You think it's hard losing weight at 50, it just gets harder and harder as you age. And you can't exercise as hard. I walk and carry, but I can't run anymore so that's about as strenuous it gets for me. And my cheat meals are nothing compared to what they were at your age. Now, it just takes too long to overcome poor meal decisions. But it's worth it, just takes a routine and very few stupid decisions. You can do it. Stay obsessed!

[Bob Cat]

Chew:  Replace with sunflower seeds?  but DO NOT spit them on greens or you'll have another problem.

Reward yourself:  I see Corona in your avatar.  Make sure they're "light".  ONE as a reward after working out.

Walk:  Set a course in your hood and walk it every late afternoon in the winter time... briskly.  Throw in buds with music, pods, etc.

Snacks:  Like someone else said (and you know this), if it's in the house you'll eat it.  I prefer unshelled pistachios, myself.

Pop:  None.  Zero.

Water:  Lots.  Make it your habit while watching TV.

 

This is NOT an easy road you're traveling but will become a little easier as GOOD HABITS take hold.

 

Good luck!

[johnrobison]

On 2/3/2023 at 10:18 AM, jonsnow said:

The WRX community has become my go to support group, therapist, personal trainer, nutritionist & golf instructor over the years. Lots of members with lots of knowledge & good advice. You work cheap, too, which I really appreciate. As the title says I'll be turning 65 in a little more than 90 days & it seems like a good starting point to address some lifestyle changes I should have made many years ago. Specifically, I'm going to achieve a healthy weight; I'm going to exercise consistently & become an (old) athlete again; & I'm going to stop using smokeless tobacco. That's a lot to take on all at the same time & I'm sure I'm going to have many stumbles along the way, but I want to be patient with myself & start over when I stumble rather than quitting in frustration as I have when I've attempted similar changes before. 

 

I'm slightly over 6'1" & weigh 240 pounds. When I graduated HS I weighed 175, when I graduated college I weighed 195 & basically have averaged a pound a year of weight gain since. I plan to weigh 185, whether that takes a year, 2 years or longer. I feel like that is the weight my frame is built to handle. My plan is to GREATLY reduce carbohydrates & sugar in conjunction with intermittent fasting (16/8 method) & a large increase in water consumption. My weakness is carbs & portion control; I don't stop eating when I'm no longer hungry, I eat until I'm full (stuffed) & there is a difference. I don't have any known health issues (although that doesn't mean I don't have a tangerine growing in my brain pan that hasn't been discovered yet) & don't take any medications, although I need to lower my blood pressure or my doctor is probably going to want me to go on medication to lower it if I don't get it down on my own by the time I have my annual physical. Still got all my original body parts & no major problems with any of them. I've actually been very fortunate with my health given that I've taken it for granted so long.

 

On the fitness side, I was a good HS athlete in a couple of sports besides golf; basketball was actually my best sport. Not good enough to play at the college level, at least not where I went to college, but I know my way around a gym & have a pretty clear idea what I need to do. I know there are a lot of people here who have a lot of knowledge on fitness & I'd love to hear your thoughts & suggestions. I do know I'm going to include more cardio (probably walking, not going to try & run until I've lost some weight) & yoga than I have in the past. I still can walk & carry for 18 holes although I don't as often as I used to & I want to get back to that being my default.

 

The biggie is smokeless tobacco. I've been dipping over 40 years & wish I had never started. I've quit many times over the years, once for 6 months, but always backslid & ended up right  back where I was going through 2-3 cans a week. I'm concerned about the health issues I've brought into play for myself. I may have already set myself up for some serious health problems down the road; I can't change the past but I can change my future habits. I'm not kidding myself it's going to be easy, I've tried quitting enough times to know better. But I've found that using ground coffee as a substitute helps with the psychological aspect (tried other things like celery seed but didn't work for me). The physical withdrawal is pretty intense but the worst is over in a couple of weeks. 

 

Some of these things work against each other: when I've stopped dipping in the past I started eating more; when I start eating more I don't feel like working out, etc. My wife is fully on board with this & is well aware I may be more difficult to live with than normal for a while but she's promised to be patient with me & I've apologized in advance to her for the mood swings I'm anticipating. 

 

Sorry to be so long winded, but in addition to all the other things I lean on this community for, I'm now asking you to be my accountability partner. I want to go on the record with what I am doing to my friends here & ask you to not only support me & encourage me but call me on my BS when you smell it. My plan is to post a short update each Monday (starting 2-13) for those interested letting you know what the previous week was like. 

 

 

Nutrition: About 11 or 12 years ago I began a journey, researching the effects of dietary carbohydrates and gradually reducing them. I was eating a standard American diet (SAD) at the time and would guess my carb intake accounted for more than half my nutrition. When I got that down to 15%-20%, it made weight control and appetite MUCH easier to manage - I went from 180 to 165 pretty easily. I still struggled a bit and would go up and down some but was able to get by pretty well for many years that way. Like I said, though, it's been a journey and the latest evolution of that journey was 1 year ago when I eliminated carbs completely (well... I mean I still have the evening cocktail, so there's that...) after battling an ulcer. For a year I've consumed meat (primarily beef) and eggs as 95+% of my nutrition. I add butter and tallow and also have a few oz of cream but virtually all of my energy intake comes from meat and eggs. Since we don't have a requirement to consume carbohydrates for optimal health (whereas we do require amino and fatty acids for optimal health) I simply replaced what little carbs I was eating with animal-based food. I'm pretty lean for 55 and if I tried to gain fat like this, I would have to eat so much I'd hurt. You'd be amazed how easy it is to eat to satiety and maintain a health weight when you completely eliminate the carbs. I know it's not for everyone - lots of folks enjoy the carbs and are willing the reduce intake to keep them in their diet - but I've never felt better. I've also put on more muscle this year than any previous year (after the age of, say, 30) even though I've been working out hard all through the journey.

 

Fitness: I keep it very simple but very intense. Mon/Wed/Fri is full body resistance training. I've designed a circuit program for myself that's primarily heavy weight, low-to-moderate volume. There are a couple of things I'll target at higher volume but almost all of the sets are loaded up so that I reach failure in 6 to 8 reps. I move onto an opposing muscle group while the last one recovers, allowing me to go through the whole program in 40-60 min, depending on what's programmed, without rest. Keeps the heart rate pretty high most of the time. Then for more cardiovascular specific training, I do short sprints Tue/Thu (on Tue I also do some supplemental core work and on Thu I do some supplemental mobility work) that get my heart rate up to 85%-95% of my max for a very short duration. Rest. Repeat. Nothing sustained - I'm not training for endurance events - just treating the heart like the other muscles and training it to be strong and efficient.

 

That was a lot - I didn't start off expecting to type so much. HA! - but I hope it's helpful to you.

[bilbry57]

I’m 65 as well stayed in decent shape but like others gained some weight sitting on my a** working from home during Covid. I weighed 210 and I’m currently 190lbs plan is to be 175 -180 by March.  The program is pretty simple.

1. Workout first thing in the morning 

2. Track calories in my fitness pal (MFP) put in everything you eat the number of calories in certain foods will surprise you.

3. Watch the Macros in MFP try to get more Protein than Carbs first 3 weeks 

4. Drink 8-10 glasses of water a day

5. Eliminate or limit alcohol intake.

 

I quit chewing 5 years ago it was hard initially but after 2–3 months no more cravings.  If you have cravings try nicotine patches that work for some of my friends when they quit.

 

Finally I like Jocko W view on how to make changes “Discipline equals freedom”.  

 

Good luck

Edited February 6 by bilbry57

[naval2006]

Never done the calorie tracking app before.  I started using one on Monday and I have already lost 4 pounds.  This is some efficient tool indeed.

[boggyman]

On 2/3/2023 at 1:48 PM, jonsnow said:

Thanks, Pepper! I knew I could count on you to shuck it down to the cob, as we say down South.

Easyyyy dad!!

[boggyman]

On 2/3/2023 at 1:41 PM, Pepperturbo said:

LOL, lots of BS.  Problem, quit dipping and overeating.

 

I am simple, set goals and make them happen, kinda guy.  At 70+ I still hit the gym and keep my weight at 212-215lbs.  My son's grown and have a person in-charge of Operations.  Not a good candidate for calling others on their BS; accountability is big job, that often goes unrewarded. 🙂 

 

But, I am sure others will be chomping the bit at the chance to tell you what's, what.  Good luck!

Easyyyy dad……🤣

[boggyman]

On 2/3/2023 at 1:41 PM, Pepperturbo said:

LOL, lots of BS.  Problem, quit dipping and overeating.

 

I am simple, set goals and make them happen, kinda guy.  At 70+ I still hit the gym and keep my weight at 212-215lbs.  My son's grown and have a person in-charge of Operations.  Not a good candidate for calling others on their BS; accountability is big job, that often goes unrewarded. 🙂 

 

But, I am sure others will be chomping the bit at the chance to tell you what's, what.  Good luck!

Easyyyy dad……🤣

[boggyman]

On 2/3/2023 at 1:41 PM, Pepperturbo said:

LOL, lots of BS.  Problem, quit dipping and overeating.

 

I am simple, set goals and make them happen, kinda guy.  At 70+ I still hit the gym and keep my weight at 212-215lbs.  My son's grown and have a person in-charge of Operations.  Not a good candidate for calling others on their BS; accountability is big job, that often goes unrewarded. 🙂 

 

But, I am sure others will be chomping the bit at the chance to tell you what's, what.  Good luck!

Easyyyy dad……🤣
Sorry for the TP🙈

Edited February 12 by boggyman

[vernon]

On 2/10/2023 at 6:16 AM, naval2006 said:

Never done the calorie tracking app before.  I started using one on Monday and I have already lost 4 pounds.  This is some efficient tool indeed.

I haven't either.

 

Do you mind sharing which one you use?

 

Don't really wanna spend a bunch or get overwhelmed with emails and text messages.

 

Thanks.

[Judge440]

Get a calorie counter.  'Lose it' is free on iPhone.  Don't give it much thought.  Just eat and track.  It will train you over time based on your goals.  Don't need to be perfect.  Just need to be better.  

 

- Weight loss is achieved through calorie deficit.  

- Cardio is great for mood, stress and heart.  

- Weight train 3 x week.  Get strong.  Muscle burns fat.  Boosts testosterone.  

- Protein will make you less hungry.

- Good sleep will make you less hungry.

- Coffee can suppress appetite.  

- Hydrate better

 

Cut some calories.  Lift some weights.  Eat more protein.  

 

Increasing BMR > loads of cardio 

[596]

I've never in my life tracked calories.  If I did I probably would have seen at least 3500 per day when I was racing triathlons.  Nor did I ever keep track of workouts or any kind of log book. 

 

The only thing I did was listen to my body.  I was racing at 170

lb at 6'-3".  Got down to 159 but was too light to hammer in the bike leg. So gained some back.

 

I found that the "keep it simple, stupid" worked best for me.  The big thing was just do something every day.  I either did a swim, bike or run every day. Some days it was a combination of bike/run or swim/bike. Anything from 30 minutes to 6 hours of activity.

 

Do what works for you not anyone else.  Everyone is different.  If you don't do what YOU want, you won't stick to it. 

[naval2006]

2 hours ago, vernon said:

I haven't either.

 

Do you mind sharing which one you use?

 

Don't really wanna spend a bunch or get overwhelmed with emails and text messages.

 

Thanks.

Fatsecret. It’s free

[vernon]

22 hours ago, naval2006 said:

Fatsecret. It’s free

Thanks - I'll check it out.

[jonsnow]

UPDATE 2-13-23:

 

I'm 10 days in & time for an update. A quick recap: I'm working on 3 separate but interconnected improvement plans. In order of priority, they are: 1) Becoming an ex-smokeless tobacco user; 2) Getting my weight down to 185 pounds regardless of how long it takes; 3) Becoming healthier & fitter. Many thanks to all who have chimed in here for the encouragement & advice. Here's how the first 10 days have gone:

 

Smokeless tobacco--I'm happy to disclose I've not had a dip since February 3! No backsliding, been using ground coffee as a pacifier & it has been pretty successful in calming down the mental cravings. The physical aspects of nicotine withdrawal have been manageable & are beginning to abate after about a week. The mood swings have not been as bad as I expected, my wife has only had to tell me a few times to get it together when I got worked up about something minor & I was able to realize she was right rather than letting her input agitate me further. Maybe at 64 I'm beginning to mature. So far, this couldn't have gone better.

 

Weight--I've been doing 16/8 intermittent fasting & have adjusted to it pretty well. I've never been a big breakfast eater so not eating until 1 p.m. after waking up has not been too difficult. I've made a point of not eating after 9 p.m. which has been more difficult; a couple of days we had not eaten our evening meal by 9 & I decided to just not eat that night. I've cut out most sugar & reduced carbs but not nearly to the point I plan to & I haven't really addressed portion control yet, just eaten a little healthier & in a structured time frame. I've lost 3 pounds (240 to 237).

 

Fitness--I haven't gotten off to the start I wanted with my fitness. Did some walking & weight training (with light weights); after the second day of weight training I woke up with severe lower back pain. I've had idiopathic back issues for 30 years. Thankfully, they don't usually last more than a few days if I don't do anything stupid & stretch as much as possible. I hadn't had an episode in 2-3 years. I attribute them to too much weight & a weak core. So for the time being my fitness efforts are going to be tentative.

 

Will update again Monday, 202 for those interested. Thanks again for the support!

Edited February 13 by jonsnow

[johnrobison]

Great update and great to hear all the positive aspects!

 

FWIW... I've struggled with back pain for 30+ years but then really focused my resistance training on strengthening my core about 4 or 5 years ago like never before. I had always done core work (and when I say core I mean the whole anterior, lateral, and posterior core muscles from mid-section down to hamstrings) but I really turned the dial up and started moving much heavier weight, more slowly to get as strong as possible there. The payoff has been great! I was at one time scheduled for back surgery, decided to cancel at the last minute and focus more on strength and better movement patters and haven't looked back with any regrets.

[Hawkeye77]

16 minutes ago, jonsnow said:

UPDATE 2-13-23:

 

I'm 10 days in & time for an update. A quick recap: I'm working on 3 separate but interconnected improvement plans. In order of priority, they are: 1) Becoming an ex-smokeless tobacco user; 2) Getting my weight down to 185 pounds regardless of how long it takes; 3) Becoming healthier & fitter. Many thanks to all who have chimed in here for the encouragement & advice. Here's how the first 10 days have gone:

 

Smokeless tobacco--I'm happy to disclose I've not had a dip since February 3! No backsliding, been using ground coffee as a pacifier & it has been pretty successful in calming down the mental cravings. The physical aspects of nicotine withdrawal have been manageable & are beginning to abate after about a week. The mood swings have not been as bad as I expected, my wife has only had to tell me a few times to get it together when I got worked up about something minor & I was able to realize she was right rather than letting her input agitate me further. Maybe at 64 I'm beginning to mature. So far, this couldn't have gone better.

 

Weight--I've been doing 16/8 intermittent fasting & have adjusted to it pretty well. I've never been a big breakfast eater so not eating until 1 p.m. after waking up has not been too difficult. I've made a point of not eating after 9 p.m. which has been more difficult; a couple of days we had not eaten our evening meal by 9 & I decided to just not eat that night. I've cut out most sugar & reduced carbs but not nearly to the point I plan to & I haven't really addressed portion control yet, just eaten a little healthier & in a structured time frame. I've lost 3 pounds (240 to 237).

 

Fitness--I haven't gotten off to the start I wanted with my fitness. Did some walking & weight training (with light weights); after the second day of weight training I woke up with sever lower back pain. I've had idiopathic back issues for 30 years. Thankfully, they don't usually last more than a few days if I don't do anything stupid & stretch as much as possible. I hadn't had an episode in 2-3 years. I attribute them to too much weight & a weak core. So for the time being my fitness efforts are going to be tentative.

 

Will update again Monday, 202 for those interested. Thanks again for the support!

King in the North!!!