Great advice Ann, thank you.

Both diet and exercise are critically important as we age. And we're all different, so what works for one won't necessarily work for others. That's why I like this forum. I find information I can use for what works for me.

One thing that we should all have in common though is self-honesty and obsession. Self-honesty comes in handy when evaluating what we eat. I went from 190 lbs one year ago to 160 lbs today and diet (and exercise, see below) played a huge role, and a simple one. I was consuming far too much sugar and I either didn't want to acknowledger it or - never mind, I didn't want to acknowledge it. It was my trainer who said only I could decide if I was eating right. So I cut way back on one thing - refined sugar. (I'm 160 lbs now, 5'10" tall and 70 y/o.)

As for obsession - I believe we have to get obsessed about our workout regimen. For me, that's using the spin studio 5x/week with a very specific HIIT routine. No TV in front of me, no music or audio books in my ears. It's not too much to focus just on HIIT sessions, 32 minutes each - obsessively for five days out of the week.

And that's how, at age 70, I lost 30 lbs. I ran many marathons in my 30s and 40s and I wanted to recapture that feeling of being in great shape. A big part of it was looking at the gym, and HIIT in particular, as enjoyable rather than as a duty.

So find what works for you and get obsessed about it, enjoy it. And I agree with you Ann on the value of a good trainer or PT. I have someone with a degree in kinesiology and who adapts my routine based on my needs and limitations. Yeah it's $75 for a 45 minute session, 2x/week. Worth every penny, and more.

Thanks again Ann.

Joe