I am still recovering 4 days out from surgery ... I am surprised by how much I am sleeping and I am almost always thirsty! I am sure both are the result of surgery but it was such a quick surgery I didnt expect much in the way of recovery from the surgery itself.

Of course, my eye is still healing. Dr says that will take about 4 weeks. I am already seeing much better ... though still having trouble reading. I am amazed by how much better my mid and longer distance vision is. I think I shared that I am able to see myself clearly in the mirror. That's a wow! I can see the wood grain in my dresser from the bed .. and sadly, I can see how dirty my windows are LOL. It is all pretty mind blowing!

I was thrilled to be able to read the scale while standing on it (vs crouching down to read it)! I was not thrilled to see I am up 2lb. I am going to take that as a part of the impact of surgery and no real activity. I am not going to sweat it ..., but will be more mindful this week. Since I have another surgery coming up, I want to drop the +2 and maybe another lb before the next one (1.5 weeks). I think it should be doable ... I'll make a pot of soup and put away the wawa soft pretzels my sister delivered. :)

How are you all doing? Have you adjusting your routines much in the new year?

Snow days = baked treats, a memory from my childhood. I must resist this urge to bake, it’s not like I’ll be out playing in the snow to burn calories.

I had a meet up with a new to me MD. He is young and very thorough in his history taking. I have never had any MD ask about so many details . He then typed it up and sent it via the portal and asked if I saw anything that needed further details or if I wanted anything added or altered. The visit was a bit over an hour . I added a few things and he responded and thanked me.

I am pleasantly surprised I guess . DH saw him also 2 days before me and really liked him. His visit was different from mine so this is not a ” cookie- cutter” MD.

Given my Health Care background as an RN and my almost obsessive sense of detail I think I am in good hands. We each see him again in March for an actual hands on health assessment. this was truly a history taking appt. only plus Vital Signs by the nurse.

Our previous MD was excellent but she moved to a different practice 45 min away. She still lives in this area. She was way more hands off and let you talk for an hour and sent you on your way.

As it happens this new Dr said she is probably coming back to join his practice . I am going to give some thought to whether I want to switch back or continue on this new path.

At 75 this is a bit unsettling. ( Trailrunner)

Yay @Funkyart!!!!

That's amazingly wonderful news @Funkyart! Very exciting!

I actually played pickleball yesterday. The first real exercise I have had in months. I got tired really fast. I need to be doing more exercise. I'm going to try for 20-30 minutes every day and get my heart rate up. I did do some dumbbell squats and pilates rollups last week too. So there is some progress at least.

I've been much better with food and eating at home. I've been cooking a lot - now we have to eat the leftovers. I like food for a couple days, but now that it's just the two of us, I need to remember to halve the recipes. It's a fine line between having food ready and letting it go to waste. Especially soups - I love to make them, but it takes forever to eat a big pot. DH is much better at eating what's in the fridge, but I really like to enjoy my food and eat what I'm in the mood for.

Trail - my parents have a dr much like yours and it is such a gift. They have been with him for about 10 years now and he has been so helpful to have on our team.

@Funkyart - great to hear your eye surgery produced good results!

I go through phases of exercising religiously and then not much at all. When I'm in a not much phase I eventually have an epiphany and get back to it. The phases have lasted years. I've been in a phase where my only exercise has been golf and a pre-golf warm up to prevent a recurrence of knee and shoulder injury. How out of shape I've gotten has not gone unnoticed particularly loss of strength and some shortness of breath when climbing hills. This has finally led to a 2026 epiphany to get back at my cardio/strength yoga routine. OMG - so painful to restart but that passed after the first three days. I'm amazed at how my strength and balance have improved in such a short time. It's a real wakeup call that at my age I need to stick with this as long as I'm physically able to do so or I won't be able to do anything.

I mentioned previously that I hadn't walked for exercise in years due to a variety of prosthetic problems. I have finally gotten all that resolved (scrapped an expensive new foot in favor of an old one that works better for me) and have resumed walking again. That is going to take some time to build back up to the 45 minute walks I used to do.

My goal is to do something every day - walk, golf, yoga - one or more depending on how much time I have.

We could maybe see some flurries today though moreso on the northern parts of the city/county. It tends to stay a little too warm here but we had flurries back in November which is super unusual. My family in NYS had snow days this week. I’ll just be happy for warmer weather.

I am off work for MLK day so I can go to TRX class yay. I have Pilates scheduled for Wednesday and then maybe Friday. I will probably head to the Y today as well.

No call back on the chipped tooth, so I am assuming Tuesday. It is not hurting or sensitive so hopefully it stays that way.

Maybe we will order some artisan pizzas for the football games today.

Thank you all :) every day my vision is a little better. Now I can almost read the text on the page here... except what I am typing (please excuse typos). They fully expected to fully correct the astigmatism in this eye ... or at least get fairly close. The left eye will require additional correction from glasses. Both eye will require a prescription for close up.

We had 2-3" of snow also. I am not to lift over 10# or sweat so I will let it just melt away or call someone in to remove it. I dont have public sidewalks so I am not too worried :)

3Katz, glad to hear you found a solution to the problems with your prosthetic. It must feel so freeing to be able to walk distances again!

Legomom, great to hear you are continuing to feel better about your eating! I also hate having too nany leftovers. I am so used to cooking for a crowd but I have been working on making smaller portions. I don't expect to cook much in the coming weeks but I will lean into simple soups and eggs which are easier to make in small portions.

So glad to read your vision is improving, Funky. This must be so gratifying. I hope your recovery continues to go well.

I'm still working on losing holiday lbs, and it's going well. I have dialed in my diet, and continuing at the gym. I have a fitness goal for this year: 10 box jumps. I'm just noting it here, officially, to keep myself accountable.

I listened to a Rich Roll podcast on the microbiome, inflammation and chronic disease. It emphasized the importance of fiber and whole food diversity. So those of you aiming for 30 plants/wk are on the right path. I did a quick scan of my refrigerator, and I'm around 20, and if spices count, I'm definitely hitting 30.

Have a good week, everyone!

I went to the movies with my oldest DS today which involved walking up several flights of stairs in the parking garage and then in the theater, and I can feel my lack of exercise has caught up with me. Funny how quickly it happens at this age. I just can’t do too much about it until after I see the ortho dr, a week from tomorrow. I will continue to do some yoga and upper body weights until then.

This week’s highlight will be a visit to the MOHS dr, who will hopefully do the dermabrasion on my nose. I have been looking forward to this ”final chapter” of my skin cancer saga, but now I’m also getting a little nervous.

@Sueb20 - Yes - funny and a little alarming how quickly we get out of shape with no exercise at this age.

Funky glad your happy with your surgery results. Being able to see without glasses....nice!!!!

OK. I made a fool out of myself. Story: Was @ the gym doing leg presses. A woman who obviously lifts weights was standing across from me...thought she was waiting for my machine. I got off, wiped it down, said "It's ALL yours!"....Walked around the corner to where my DH was...and he said..."You alright? Do we have to leave now?". I said "WHAT!" He said I heard you yelling....I took out my earbuds, blasting heavy metal....and he told me I had yelled...."IT'S ALL YOURS!:....oooooops....uh....didn't mean to do THAT......a gym employee came over and asked me if I was OK. Yeah...I held up my ear buds...said sorry...I couldn't hear.....

I'm the type to NOT want to go back. 😂Luckily...it's NOT a gym we frequent.

I am down another 2 pounds, yay. I log my weight in MyfitnessPal and I was curious, so I looked up my weight loss over the past year: 29 lbs. I am pleased but it does underscore how very slowly I lose; about 05.lbs a week!

And I am finding it harder and harder. Recently I read somewhere that, the closer you are to goal, the hungrier you will be. That makes sense if you believe in setpoints.

Getting "good news" on the scale always makes me do a little better the next few days. If the scale is up, i go into what DH calls " oh, e f f it! mode."

Great orogress, Mtn!! Not just for this loss.. but 29 in a year is super! Slow but steady losses are sustainable! 29 lb is huge-- I am impressed and inspired.

I am no where near goal weight but I am not finding hunger to be an issue .. in fact, when I am eating well, I feel completely sated. I guess that may change in time as I get closer to goal but for now my issue is staying on the healthy eating train ... and not allowing myself to skip and get so hungry that I eat whatever I can grab and too much of it. Your progress is motivation to stick with it!

I will say that since surgery, I have been wanting carbs and comfort food ... I am aware of it and giving into it to some degree. I had broccoli salad the other day and it didnt sit well. I do know I can do better even with keeping my foods simple and bland .. which is what my body seems to want. I will do better with this over the next week and after my next surgery. I think I'll make split pea soup tomorrow-- a little creamy, a little protein and easy to digest. We'll see how it goes.

I think slow and steady is the key to weight loss that ”sticks”. 29 lbs in a year is impressive! What were the keys to your weight loss, Mtn?

I am not weighing or measuring my food, but most of the time I am eating 3 healthy meals a day, without snacking, and without junk. If I do have a snack, it’s maybe a handful of nuts or an orange (currrently on my annual obsession with sumo oranges). I don’t drink soda, I don’t add sugar to coffee or tea, drink lots of water, etc. The one thing I probably need to work on is portion size, especially at dinner. But in general, at 61 I am eating less food in general, and more nutritious food, but my scale just keeps creeping upward. Not dramatically, and sometimes I go down 1-3 lbs, but it always seems to bounce back up.

The ”treat” I bought at the grocery store today was Dave’s killer multi-seed bread. We hardly ever have bread any more, but once in a while I crave a piece of toast with peanut butter instead of my standard plain yogurt and fruit for breakfast. I am stupidly excited about it.

THANK YOU for asking Mtn what is working for her .. I am very interested too. I am interested in what everyone is doing that is working for them. And yes, my experience is similar to yours, Sue. Right down to being on your current orange kick! Also, I LOVE Dave's Killer Bread .. I dont keep it in the house but add it on occasion and I enjoy it for a piece of toast w/PB or an open face sandwich with tuna or turkey. I have not tried to completely eliminate carbs-- that doesnt work for me-- but I am mindful and often vigilant about keeping to whole grains, higher protein and limited quantities. It is so easy for me to become dependent on starchy carbs! I force myself to think outside of a sandwich, a pasta or a rice.

Slow metabolism has been an issue for me most of my life... and more so in my older years. Losing strength is part of that (I was very strong when younger and pre-eye issues) but age and a wonky thyrod also slows metabolism. I don't eat three meals a day-- more often 1 meal and a snack-meal. I believe current thinking is more small meals are preferred.

Well, my Dr. said I should aim for 1-2lbs a week. And since I am not a petite person, I should aim for close to 2lbs a week. So 0.5lbs/wk seems unimpressive. Not that I am unhappy with it.

Having vast amounts of my own weight data, nearly 25 years worth now, thanks to online WW and then MFP, I see patterns. I am good at losing weight and have done so at several points (haven’t we all)

Looking at the data, I am partly pleased and yet also aghast at how slowly/easily I regain weight. Honestly it seems like I gain it back at the rate of a cookie a day, or somesuch. It’s not like I suddenly start eating whole pizzas, it is much more subtle. It makes me believe that my body really is sending me hunger cues biased toward fattening me up.

So sorry, that was about maintaining not about losing.

I think the experts say you can really lose weight any way that works for you. No one way is best. I think what was different this time was that I was very easy on myself. No foods are restricted (this is before the MIND diet, which is a whole ‘nother matter). My strongest focus was on portions. I was hyperfocussed on eating only when I was hungry and only enough to satisfy me. I completely ignored any issues about wasting food (sorry Mom) or offending chefs and friends, completely ignored any concept of a serving, and I only ate things I really liked and only the amount I wanted. If I took a bite of something and I did not like it, I stopped. None of that probably sounds like a good plan but somehow it made it easier because I did not feel deprived. And since I actually like a lot of “good for you” foods, my diet was still balanced.

The question is, will eating this way get me to my goal weight... in less than a decade, LOL?

I calculated that I weighed myself 17 times last year, or once every three weeks. I have a neurotic relationship with the scale. If I am “good” and yet the scale gods smite me, I lose my motivation. I think by weighing in less often, I stayed motivated because I was very rarely disappointed.

PS love Dave's Killer Bread. The one with the green label thin sliced. I was reminded recently fo Ezekiel's, which is similar but low or no sugar. Need to try it.

I think those of us who are focused on losing weight know there isnt one quick fix.. and what works for some won't necessarily work for all (beyond the most basic) but I do like hearing what is working for others. Often it gives me ideas for new things to try ... and for me, mixing it up often helps.

While on vac, I leaned into not eating when I wasn't hungry.. splitting meals and not finishing meals. I wasnt the least bit hungry and I lost 3.5lb in 3 weeks! So a parallel to what you are doing, Mtn. I recognized that I often finish meals (especially when out) when I don't need or want to. The only downside is that I didnt prepare as many delicious meals for SO as I had planned ... the upside is that we BOTH lost weight.

Thanks for sharing, Mtn!

@Funkyart, I am thrilled that your eye surgery is done and everything has gone so well. If you can do and see ll those things now, just think how life changing this will be once you’re completely healed! Wearing reading glasses is nothing compared to what you’ve been dealing with. Besides, you look so cute in your glasses. I’m sure you will be back on track with your weight once you can do more cooking and moving around.

@mtnrdredux_gw, that's fantastic to hear about your accomplishment this last year. For those working on it, I think you have to find what works for you and stick with it at least 6 days out of 7. Life gets in the way, and I think we punish ourselves by letting our little slip-ups become big slip-ups sometimes.

I’m another Dave’s Killer Bread fan. I love the whole grain English muffins (also a green package), and love to have an egg and sometimes a sprinkle of cheese on top of a half of one of those. I buy a loaf of the thin-sliced bread too occasionally. I don’t eat a lot of sandwiches, but I do love a good BLT, egg salad, or tuna now and then, or use it for something open face.

I’m still holding at the same weight and haven’t gained any so I’m happy about that. I keep telling myself I’ve built more muscle. Yeah, right. After a certain age it is not fun to have to watch the pounds creep on. I never had to watch my weight…until suddenly I did, maybe in my 50’s. Mtn, your DH is absolutely right about going into that ’mode’ when you see an extra pound on the scale, lol. Oh Fuuuudddgggge.

Sueb, keep at it! If you have some pain issues going on, I hope you get through that so you can get back to more movement in your life.

3katz, glad to hear you’re starting on the path and have figured out your prosthetic issues.

Thank you, @OutsidePlaying .. but not yet done. I have surgery on the left eye next week. Still, I can "see" where this is going and it is exciting! The left eye is my worst so I think it is all uphill once it is done!

When my kids were young, I would sometimes have ”theme weeks” for dinner just to break up the cooking monotony. We had sandwich week, breakfast for dinner week, etc. So I am bringing it back for DH and me and this week has been seafood week. On Mon we had salmon and broccoli, Tues we had shrimp stir fry, yesterday was cod and broccoli, tonight is salmon again, and tomorrow we might go out to a new seafood restaurant.

Next week I may try vegetarian week, and another week I am thinking of something like trying a ”new” veggie each night, but I’m not sure if there are enough veggies we haven’t tried. Any other ideas, staying in a ”healthy” zone?

Making this with the salmon tonight.

I like the idea of this as I get into ruts too-- even more so lately-- but it would have to be pretty broad for me to want a whole week of a theme.

My very first thought is "new recipes" ... or even recipes from a single source (i.e. a new cookbook or fav food blogger/web site). I will give it some more thought later today ... I need to get into a routine and this may help.

I think i might like to do that but not a week at a time; instead - ie the traditional Friday is seafood day, Saturday is vegetarian day, etc etc

Here are 50 themes: https://www.familyfoodonthetable.com/theme-night-dinners/

Or maybe ethnic itself is a theme?

Ooh yes, ”around the world” could be a theme.

I like the new-recipes idea too, or say, Ina Garten Week!

Sadly, I did not get my nose sanded today. Have to wait another month, but then we have a wedding and my nose would still be healing again, but then we are away, so long story short, it’s not happening until late March.

Ouch

Dr said I am lucky, the skin graft matches the color of the surrounding skin. I guess it doesn’t always work that way. Anyway, I have managed to distract from it by wearing glasses so much that now I wonder if it will feel weird to go back to contacts.

Here is a snippet of a selfie I took with DS last week…it really is not that bad but of course it is very obvious to me every time I look in a mirror.

I have lost a bit of weight over the last year. I am only 4 pounds from my goal. The holidays brought losing to a halt, but hopefully I’m back on track. I have been making a lot of NYT recipes that I added to my recipe box over the year. I made the Charlie Bird Farro Salad earlier this week (I used 1/2 the salt and 1/2 the oil). I tried it a long time ago but forgot how good it was. Last night I made a cucumber and pomegranate salad. DH liked it, I’m on the fence about the lime in it, but I’d make it again with tweaks. I need to exercise more. I bought some resistance bands, but I’m not very consistent. sigh

Not obvious at all … and i looked with my good eye + readers! 😂

i get that you want it perfect … and it will beb soon!

Sue, I had MOHS about the same time you had your first surgery, I think. I have a bit of a zipper down the top of my nose. It is not too noticeable, but I am very interested in hearing how the "sanding" goes! Best wishes!

Thanks for joining us here, Mimou and congrats on being within 4lb of your goal weight! You are so close-- keep up the great work!

Sue, I meant to add that you look great-- and so young!

I havent been wearing glasses other than readers the last few days. The left eye is +/- useless even with lenses.. the right eye is currently 20 : 25 and only needs readers ... and I am tired of switching glasses each time I stand up. It is so strange to see myself without glasses! I have worn them since I was 3yo! I will return to glasses when the left eye heals but I am stuck looking at my face -- the whole face-- for now. My eyes are really showing my age.. and i can't wear a lick of makeup on my eyes or face for another 3-4 wks. Arggg. It is only the love of my niece that is getting me out to dinner tonight (she is heading to Milan next week). I sure hope I dont see anyone I know! 😂

Sue, when I saw that pic, my first impression was, "love her hair color with her eye color, and I should wear glasses more because they look great on her." Didn't notice your nose. :-)

Mimou, thanks for the farro salad reminder--that's a good one--and congrats on your weight loss!

Funky, enjoy the time with your niece. You are beautiful even without makeup.

Trail, I was on some sort of kick last summer about building power, and started doing jumps just on my back step (fenced-in back yard where no one could see me). I started slowly, jumping up and then stepping off. I lapsed once the weather got bad, but a few weeks ago walked by one of those outdoor fitness playground. SO challenged me to box jump on one of the pieces, which was only about 6-8 inches. He went first and was really coordinated. He proceeded to higher boxes, while I clumsily stayed at the lowest one. I can jump up, but I don't trust my feet to jump back down. It's a self-preservation thing, I think. But he kept pushing me, and now I want to complete 10 in a row, and actually be coordinated doing them.

Do you have any tips? My obstacle is more mental than physical. I envision myself tripping and breaking an ankle. How did they help you?

I now see how people benefit from personal trainers. I'm pretty good at challenging myself, but I underestimate my strength. SO, who has been working out his whole life, pushes me. Many of our conversations at the gym go like this:

Him: Here, try this weight.

Me: I can't lift that heavy.

Him: Yes, you can.

Me: No, I can't.

Him: Yes, you can. Just try.

Me: (tries and CAN!)

He's getting me past myself, if that makes sense. I would pay for this level of empowerment.

Aw Feathers, thank you.

And thank you Funky. It might sound strange, but my age shows much more in the lower half of my face. So I am relatively young looking from the nose up, LOL.

Thanks, Trailrunner! You confirmed my instincts to step down. It feels inherently safer. I think I'll jump rope for agility, which I need, too, and box jump with stepping down for power.

3 sets of 10 is admirable! Good for you! But it's good you listended to your feet. :-)

Trail, I've been starting most days with a practice that I learned from Huberman Lab called Space Time Bridging. I'm usually having my morning coffee during, and it's just a pleasant way to begin the day. I've increased my yoga practice, too, now that I have a designated space for it. It's in the bedroom across from mine, mats are rolled out...just walk in and do it. The luxury of space. :-)

I'm sure you notice the sunsets gradually occurring later. I find that so hopeful this time of year. Thanks for following up, and I appreciate your recommendations on the box jumps.

It doesnt sound strange at all -- I am not loving my mouth lines and my neck reveals all: age, fat, thyroid issues.

My eyes have been looking older the last few years but makeup has helped ... now that I can't wear it, I am seeing really how old my eyes (and skin) look! They are getting a lot of abuse between eye drops and strain so hopefully they bounce back.

It doesnt help that I can't do any skincare either. I can wash my face .. but not around the eye.