Travel Log - Duncannon, Pennsylvania

This last weekend we spent the day in Duncannon, Pennsylvania.  It's only 25 minutes from Harrisburg, PA.  It's a small town but filled with interesting things to do and see.

We started with Hawk Rock and Cove Mountain Overlooks.  This is a challenging climb.  It took us an hour to get to the top.  The descent was even more challenging.  There are very steep sections.  Two days later my thighs are still aching.  If you are reasonable fit this is a fun climb.  Otherwise, I'd skip it.

Next we went for lunch at the Doyle Hotel.  This is a very old, run down hotel.  We would never have considered going there but for the rave review online.  Once we saw how run down the hotel really was we hesitated but went in.  I'm glad we did.  The cook and waitress were friendly and the food was great and so was the conversation.  If you find yourself in this little town I highly recommend the Doyle Hotel for lunch.

Third on out list was The Old Sled Works Antique Mall.  We spent a good hour walking around looking at all the good stuff in this building. 

Our Fourth stop was a wine tasting at the Buddy Boy Winery and Vineyard.  I'm not much of a wine drinker but I thought this would be fun and it was.  I picked out five wines to taste and afterwards we bought the one I liked best.  The people working there and the other guests were friendly and we really enjoyed our visit.

Next on our list was the old cemetery where there is supposed to be a historic church from the 1800's.  Unfortunately, we couldn't find it.  We looked, couldn't find it so we moved on.  There is a huge cemetery and I'm sure the old church is there somewhere.

Lastly, we drove a short distance to the Dellville Covered Bridge.  This historic bridge was burned down by an arsonist a few years ago and has been rebuilt.  The road though this covered bridge doesn't go anywhere so it's strictly for those who appreciate it's beauty.  It is a beautiful bridge, inside and out.

If this first weekend seeing the sights in and around Harrisburg, Pennsylvania is any indication, our stay here will be busy every weekend.

Over 50 Weight Loss - It's All About the Food

If it were possible to exercise ones self skinny I would be skinny.  For the most part I've led an active life.  I'm married to an athletic man and raised two athletic sons.  Not being active was never an option. 

Unfortunately you can't exercise yourself skinny.  I know this.  I've always known this.  But we try to tell ourselves things that we want to believe.  So I go through phases when I will exercise all the time, constantly in an effort to not have to diet.  It doesn't work; ever.

I remember years ago when I was running every day.  I subscribed to a running magazine.  One month there was an article by a marathon runner.  In it he talked about how, during racing season he would empty his house of all food except what was on his strict diet during this time each year.  Even extremely fit, active people have to watch their diet.  That's the truth.

So, this last week was my first living away from home, in a hotel for an extended time so that I can be with my husband where he is working.  I've struggled because of all the free food.  Our hotel provides a free breakfast buffet, hors d'oeuvre/dinner buffet and at 8 o'clock each night a dessert buffet.  That spells DIET DISASTER!

These free buffets might as well be crack cocaine and I'm the addict.  My response to my overeating has been lots of exercise.  The problem with exercising strenuously all the time is that it stimulates hunger. 

Luckily, I realize what's going on and this week I've begun to make small adjustments.  When I go to the breakfast buffet I grab two packets of oatmeal.  They have it cooked with lots of toppings but I skip that in favor of the packets because they are single servings and back at my room I have ground flax seed that I add.  I also pick up a banana, an apple, two bottles of water and two 100 calorie pre-packaged breakfast bars. 

I take the water and breakfast bars with me for my morning two hour walk.  I do photography while I walk so I take my time and stop constantly.  When I get back to the room I fix one oatmeal packet using the coffee maker in our room.  To that I add flax seeds.  I drink my other bottle of water now.  Before lunch I head to the hotel gym and walk on the treadmill for an hour.  This is my real exercise time.  I set the machine for a brisk pace.  when I get back from this I eat the banana. 

For lunch this week I'm dropping by a Tropical Smoothie Cafe located next to our hotel.  With my smoothie I eat my apple.

Once my husband gets back from work we head outside together.  He either walks to a nearby Y to swim or he runs along the river.  I walk for an hour.  It's a stroll and there are lots of people out so it's very enjoyable.  I grab another water on my way out.

Now for the hard part:  The horsd'oeuvre/dinner buffet.  This week I'm loading my plate with raw veggies.  Once I eat those I'll have a starch.  It's different each night depending on what is available.  Last night I had a cup of pasta with marinara sauce.  I grab two waters on my way out.  I do not go back later for the dessert buffet even if my husband does.

We are very fortunate to be in a hotel that provides so much free food.  The trick for me is to use that to my advantage, not my downfall.  I'm still getting lots of exercise but only one hour can be considered exercise.  I feel better this week because I'm not so hungry and I have my food consumption controlled much better.  I'll see how I feel at the end of the week and make more small changes if I need to.

Over 50 Travel - My Travel Log #1

Life changes and so do we.  There are many seasons of life and recently began a new one. 

A couple of months ago I decided to go on the road with my husband for his job.  Two weeks ago I had my last day at my desk job at a health care facility.  So begins my travel log.

In preparation for my new life I bought a new DSLR camera and a couple of lenses.  I've always loved photography and it's now my reason to stay out of the hotel room.  Aside from loving photography it is also my reason to get outside and exercise.  It's a win win. 

Fortunately, right now we are in Harrisburg, Penslyvania.  It's a beautiful, historic city with a lot to see and photograph.

I've realized that I always end up taking photos of three things:  architecture, animals and plants.  There are a lot of statues in Harrisburg but, for whatever reason, I don't find them interesting so I don't try to force myself to photograph them.  So you won't see any of that in my photos.  What you will see is lots of the things I do find interesting.

In walking around Harrisburg yesterday I found several examples of tiny little building attached to much larger buildings.  They were so cute.  Here are two examples:

Because Harrisburg is such an old city there are very old buildings mixed in with building from every subsequent era.  As you might imagine, some of the old buildings are in need of much repair.  Here, there are two historic homes side by side.  One is being renovated.  The other is in need of some.

Sometimes I photograph a building just because it's beautiful, like this one.  It looks like it's probably four homes.

There are two main animals that are abundant along the Susquehanna River:  Canadian geese and groundhogs.  I don't know much about either but I can't stop photographing them.  I get scared for them living right along side a very busy road, but it doesn't seem to bother either.

Lastly, there are so many really beautiful gardens here.  Everything is in bloom and it really beautifies the city.

Fitness After 50 - Strategies to Help with Motivation

The photos in this post were taken this morning while I was on a two hour hike.  Keep reading to find out how photography helps me stay fit.

If you are a lady or a man over 50 you know as I do how hard it can be to maintain a healthy weight.  For us ladies I can attest to how hard it gets once we hit menopause. 

This post isn't about menopause or how hard it is to loose weight.  It's about strategies that have helped me that I want to share.

1.  For me it helps to have a routine.  To create continuity I get up and go to bed at approximately the same time every day.  That creates body memory so that it becomes habit.  I do the same thing with exercise.

I like to exercise first thing in the morning before I do anything else.  That way, no matter what, it's done.  I can check it off of my get healthy and stay healthy list.

2.  There are so many different types of exercise.  Pick one that you love and don't get tired of.  For me that's walking.  To make walking exercise it should be done at a brisk pace.  It shouldn't be a stroll, although even that's better than nothing.

3.  Incorporate a hobby into exercise.  I enjoy photography.  So several days a week I take a two hour hike and take lots of photos along the way.  You could do this with running or biking as well.  I love photography.  I will literally take a photo of anything.  It does reduce the exercise value because I stop frequently but my photo hikes are typically twice as long in duration I'm ok with it.  I become so absorbed in the photography that I completely loose track of time. 

4.   Join a group.  I hike alone but my husband enjoys exercising with others so he's been part of swimming teams and running clubs.  If you enjoy the socialization that comes with group activities, find a group to exercise with.  It's a great motivator.

5.  Use a fitness tracker.  For Christmas last year I bought myself and my husband smart watches that track out fitness.  I use mine for walking primarily; he uses his mostly for swimming and we both use them for cycling.

I find these strategies very helpful and I hope that anyone who comes across them will too.  Thanks for taking the time to stop by.

Vegan After 50 - What to Eat

I feel like I'm a pretty average fifty-five year old.  I enjoy cooking but I don't want to spend all my time in the kitchen.  I lean toward very simple dishes with few ingredients.

Here are some of the dishes I ate this week:

Green smoothies.  I love these.  They are sugar, salt, oil free.  Just fruit, greens, flax seeds and almond milk.  Very low in calories and high in nutrition.  This one has banana, pineapple, unsweetened coconut, spinach and unsweetened almond milk.

Salads.  I love salads and I try to load them with lots of nutrition.  Most of my salads have greens, beans, onions, tomatoes, beets, dried fruit and a low or no calorie vegan dressing.  On this salad I topped it with some vegan chicken fingers.

Toast topped with natural peanut butter, flax seeds and banana.  I love peanut butter.  I think I could eat it on almost anything.  Although it offers a healthy fat and good protein it's also concentrated calories so I try to eat it in moderation.

Spaghetti squash steamed in the microwave and topped with marinara sauce and mixed veggies.  Using a vegetable as a replacement for pasta is a great way to increase nutrition and decrease calories.

Toast topped with vegan cheese and sauteed tomatoes and spinach.  I sprinkled on some onion and garlic powder.

Wild rice, green beans and vegan turkey patties.  I will often cook up a batch of rice in my pressure cooker and eat it all week with various vegetables.

Once a week we eat a meal out.  This week we ate at WhichWich.  It's a sandwich shop that offers a few vegan options.  This one is black bean pattie, hummus, avocado, cole slaw.

So there you are.  Good, hearty meals that simple but nutritious.  More to come.

Going Vegan in my 50's

Out of all the diets in the world why pick veganism?  I'm not sure I addressed this early on in my weight loss journey but I thought this was a good time to talk about it again.  I'm in my third year of weight loss success.  That's the longest I've ever been able to sustain any noticeable weight loss so there must be some significant component that has led to that success.  Yes, I've recently had some weight gain.  I've been battling a ten pound gain this year, but I'm back on track and I'm determined to reach my all time goal of 125 by the end of this year.

Before going vegan I was never able to keep weight off.  I had all but given up on being any size smaller than a 12 and prior to three years ago I was up around a 14/16.  My health was failing.  I was tired all the time and miserable about how I looked. 

My doctor asked me to loose 25 pounds and that was my goal.  I didn't start off even thinking about veganism as a way to loose weight.  I stumbled upon it months after trying several other diet methods.  To my surprise, after going full on, all in vegan I began to loose weight and I was able to keep it off and keep loosing.

Don't get the wrong impression here.  Veganism isn't magic.  I could be a fat vegan very easily.  I still have to watch how much I eat.  But by eating primarily plant based whole foods it's easier to keep my weight down than ever before in my life.

The best part about my new lifestyle is the part that I seldom think about.  My health is better than its been in decades.  Before starting my new life I had my yearly checkup.  My blood pressure was sky high, I was pre-diabetic and severely anemic. 

My yearly physical and blood work two years later revealed that I am no longer anemic or pre-diabetic and my blood pressure is normal.  My bmi is still above the normal range for my height right now.  I'll have to get down to 125 for that to be in the normal range.

I don't think about that part of my success because I don't have to think about it constantly anymore.  For years I was concerned about my health but I didn't know how to fix it.  I'd tried every diet and failed at them all.

Now, instead of worrying I focus on working the plan every day.  I know that if I do that my health will be it's best and it will be easier to maintain a healthy weight.

I think it's also important to have realistic expectations.  My goal is to maintain the best health I can as long as I can.  I believe the way I now live is my best path to that goal.

As a side note; the longer I'm vegan the more I am committed to never eating meat or dairy or eggs.  I'm not the vegan police nor will I ever be.  I live within a family and extended family of meat eaters.  My choices are for myself alone.  But I feel much more sensitive towards animals than I ever have.  I've always loved animals but it never bothered me to eat them.  Now I don't think I ever could again.  Maybe that's because I now see that there are so many plant based alternatives that can completely satisfy human health.  I no longer believe that humans need to consume animal products for health purposes. 

Being vegan is not an easy road to take.  It's not the road I had planned on but having traveled it for two years now I wouldn't have it any other way.

Going Back to What Works

Since I last posted I've struggled, I've floundered, then I dug down deep and I've found a way to win the war.

Once I reached 137 I plateaued.  I was stuck and I couldn't figure out a way to loose any more weight.  Then I started gaining weight.  Slowly the pounds started coming back.  I could see it in my belly and I could feel it when I tried to squeeze into my clothes.

I couldn't find any motivation to exercise at the level I did while loosing.  My heart wasn't in it anymore.  Every day I promised myself that I'd work harder and longer. 

Two weeks ago I made the decision to go back to how I was eating while I lost weight last year.  I put that off thinking I could exercise the extra calories off.  That doesn't work.  It never has for me and it never will.  It has to be 80 percent diet. 

The major change that I've added back in is fasting.  I've never strayed from my commitment to veganism.  I was just eating too much.  Too much of anything is still too much. 

Fasting is really just a eating schedule.  My schedule looks like this now:
Saturday and Sunday I eat what I want (that's vegan).  After dinner on Sunday I fast till Tuesday breakfast; about 32 hours.  Tuesday - Thursday I fast 18 hours, with an eating window of 6 hours.  After lunch on Thursday I start fasting till Saturday Breakfast; 42 hours.  So I have two longer fasts and three shorter ones. 

I'm at the beginning of my third week with this schedule.  I'm at 131.  My goal weight is 125; 6 lbs. to go.  I expect it will take me two more week.  Once there I'll evaluate how my eating schedule needs to change for maintenance.  I expect that I will need to keep fasting as part of my lifestyle permanently.  Veganism has given me my health back but fasting has enabled me to attain and maintain a healthy weight. 

I don't feel any different at 131 then I did at 137 and I don't expect that will change once I get to 125.  My main reason for that goal weight is to give myself some room to fluctuate.  It's my safety net.  I know that once I try to start a maintenance program again my weight is bound to go up and down a little while I figure out exactly what my eating schedule needs to be.

Wouldn't it be great if I could just eat a healthy vegan diet and weigh exactly what I want to weigh.  Unfortunately, life, my life isn't like that.  I've come to some conclusions about my weight and one of them is that I will have to have periods where I'm a little hungry in order to maintain my slimmer body and my better health.

I'm not trying to go back to the exercise level I had during my weight loss.  I just don't want to spend two hours every day exercising.  What seems to be my new normal is 1 mile of walking, then 1 or two miles of jogging each morning.  In the evenings I've been doing 30 minutes of step.  Today I'm changing that to 30 minutes of my strength building exercises: squats, sit-ups, etc.

So this is my new life.  My second attempt to get to maintenance and actually maintain. 

Settling In to a New Lifestyle

This is me on Sunday,  March 4, 2018.  I still weigh 137 lbs.

Last month when I posted I was going through a real, serious mourning process.  I wasn't prepared for it but now that I've come through it I understand it better.  Choosing to live a vegan lifestyle sets me apart from everyone I know in my day to day life.  I'm already a quiet, introverted person.  Eating differently from literally everyone I know has not helped that.  If anything I'd say that it's a good thing that I tend to be so quiet because many times I've caught myself just before I pointed out how unhealthy something is that someone is about to eat.  Of course I know that it's none of my business what anyone else eats.  What I've chosen to do to save my health is a personal decision.  It's not something that can be pushed on to anyone.  But for me I think I was feeling very isolated and the realization that I've chosen this for the rest of my life sent me into a period of mourning my old life.  I don't want to go back but I had to say goodbye.

I've done that now and I feel more resolved than ever about the life ahead of me.  I still want to loose another ten pounds and I'm confident that I will.  It's a process and the process continues.  The longer I eat a vegan diet the more I fall in love with it.  The variety and combinations of dishes is endless.  What's so great about eating a whole foods plant based diet is that it all goes together perfectly.  I try now to focus on foods, not recipes.  I just buy lots of whole plant foods and put them together.

So what do I eat?  Things like this:

 15 Bean mix with rice

 Salad with black beans, corn and salsa as the dressing

 Oat, banana, date muffins that are fat and sugar free

 Wild rice with different beans each day

 Steamed veggies, cabbage mix and potatoes

 Cabbage soup

 Spring mix with wild rice and steamed veggies

 Vegetable soup with carrots, potatoes, beans, peas, winter squash, tomatoes, corn

 wild rice with steamed veggies and "cheese" sauce

Kale, bean chili with wild rice and "cheese" sauce

I also still eat loads of fresh fruit.  One of my favorite snack foods now is a bowl of chick peas.  Salads are still a weekly staple.  I load at least 5 cups of greens into a plastic container with a combination of vegetables, a starch like couscous, some beans and a fat free dressing like salsa or homemade hummus.

So my journey continues.  Now that I've made my peace with the choices I've made about how I want to live and eat I'm happier and more focused on continuing to make the the life that I have better and better.

Profound Realizations

 This is me in a dressing room yesterday, Saturday, February 3, 2018.  I tried

several size 8 pants but they were too big so I tried 6 petites and that's what I ended up with.

So, I'm smaller now than I have been in 30 years.  I haven't been this size since before I had children.  Reason for celebration and excitement...right?  You'd think so, but no.

This last week a profound sadness came over me.  As I continue to get smaller I feel like I am mourning a previous life that I can't go back to.  In my workplace my friends and coworkers routinely order in all kinds of meals that I no longer eat.  They routinely bring in sweets to share that I no longer can indulge in.  They routinely ask me if I want anything and I always say thank you but no.

I don't know any other vegans and I feel very isolated most of the time.  I feel like I have to keep up my defenses all the time because the temptation is always there to go backwards.  I still like the scent of meat even though I don't really want to eat any.  The smell of McDonalds drives me crazy.  I don't want to eat that stuff because I know how unhealthy it is, but Dam is smells good.  It's like crack and I'm the addict.  I know I cannot take even one bite because I won't be able to stop even though it's not something I want to put in my body.

I can never go back.  I'm too old to start over again.  This is my life now.  While my husband eats the homemade chili with cheese, sour cream and crackers I eat a pound of salad.  Today we went out to lunch.  He had a huge fish sandwich that smelled so good.  I had a veggie burger that clearly did not taste anything like a meat burger.  That's my life from now on.

This last week I was so depressed about that.  Sometimes success is bittersweet.  I know I'm doing the right thing for myself.  I don't want to go back and yet there's something about that past life that I miss. 

Is this what maintenance feel like?