What exercises help to increase muscle tone as we age?

BTW noticing again that you need to get to 1700 calories, there are MANY carbs (healthiest is high fiber, unrefined) to fill you in.

Some vegetables are pretty high in calories (and some contain notable protein) - suggest: baked potatoes (with the skin), corn, eggplant, avocados (yes, high in unsaturated fat but very healthy). Again Dr. Google will be helpful there.

I can't for the life of me understand why broth was suggested for your overall dietary needs, as broth (especially low fat) contains scarcely any calories. Bone broth does contain protein, but - heck, it's suggested for weight loss.

If you are allowed carbs, fruit can be quite high calorie - personally, I love mangos, which are high calorie and high fiber.

Thank you so much. I really need to get started. It's difficult to get motivated since I'm all alone and the cats prefer my lap to rest on the sofa 😊 But I will set up a schedule. It should not freak me and be doable enough to get me to do more because I like it.

You're an inspiration, Mary, aka imallears! It's ladies like you who keep me motivated. My Auntie Betts, who just turned 93, was getting on her treadmill every day and reaching her goal of three thousand steps. Lives independently. Granted, she is in a senior apartment complex--just in case. Hoping she heals. Another resident knocked her down with his walker or cane (by accident) and she broke her tailbone!

Another benefit of that exercise is brain health. Literal brain health. Her doctors are so impressed by Auntie Betts that they ran a test and determined she had no brain shrinkage! Cognition? Just fine!

Oh, I found a form of curcumin (derived from turmeric) that does not contain the pepper, piperine or bio-perine that are supposed to help with absorption. Well, oil helps, too. So I take my curcumin in the morning, which is when I also take 4 T of organic extra virgin olive oil.

Yep, omega 3 is another must have. Love those natural anti-inflammatories.

B-12? That's the very first thing I put under my tongue in the morning. I also take a little capsule later in the morning and get a bit more in my B Complex, too. May explain my good spirits! Oh, I have my down days, I have my burdens and, truth be told, I've had a terrible life. But the Lord Himself helps me carry every cross.

We are blessed!

Hi, jlharsh! As to protein, I start my day with a whey protein isolate powder shake. Due to MCAS-GI (diarrhea), I now leave out the organic cacao powder and organic Ceylon cinnamon powder since they're both high histamine. I buy unflavored protein powder (don't want those artificial flavors/sweeteners) so add some organic stevia, 1 T of organic extra virgin olive oil and some filtered water before shaking. The other 3 T of EVOO? I just spoon them into my mouth. (Bear in mind, I want the heart/artery benefits of olive oil and am trying to gain weight.)

Recently I've had a victory with my GI problems! Cautiously, I added some plain Greek yogurt to my diet in the morning, increasing a bit three days in a row. Zero bad reaction! So, today I had a full serving of yogurt instead of that protein shake described above. Again, no reaction!!! From now on, I can alternate between the protein shake and the full serving of yogurt.

For lunch, I have a protein cookie or two and perhaps a handful of macadamia nuts.

Dinner might be boneless, skinless chicken breast or a wild caught salmon filet.

Throughout the day, I snack on macadamia nuts if feeling a bit "peckish."

I do know eating more than 30 grams of protein at a sitting can be a waste since most stomachs contain only enough acid and digestive enzymes to process 30 grams at a time. Another factoid? Space those protein servings at least two hours apart so your stomach has time to produce more/enough stomach acid and enzymes to process your next meal or protein snack.

Last tidbit of info: How much protein do you need? Based on your weight (or your ideal weight). Take your weight in pounds and divide by two. That's how many grams of protein you need to maintain those muscles and more. So, someone who weighs 120 pounds needs 60 grams of protein per day.

There are vegetarian sources, too. I was a lacto/ovo vegetarian for years yet had low cholesterol. Totally vegan sources would be rice combined with beans. You can research for more info on that and other vegan alternatives.

Wishing you the best!

These are some good low to fairly low fat-protein sources I use.

Grill chicken breast or shrimp. I like to toss with pepper, very small amount of salt, garlic and onion powder and any fresh herbs I have around.

Cook your own legumes in a pressure cooker or soak overnight for faster cooking the next day. I cook them without salt and add them to a tossed salad for lunch.

Hope this helps!

As an aspiring vegan based on brain and heart health, I boost my protein by presoaking beans for my pressure cooker , have incorporated tofu into my daily meals that incidentally includes fresh greens and add organic pea protein powder to my smoothies.

Just remembered something else I've added to my diet recently--for protein. Quinoa. I confess I buy a convenience food at Aldi that comes in two flavors: A Mediterranean Quinoa Chicken Bowl and a Southwest Quinoa Chicken Bowl. Of course you can make hot entrees with quinoa as the base or create a chilled salad that includes quinoa. Many recipes on the Internet or get creative and come up with something unique that pleases YOUR palate. Just reading recipes can inspire you!

I haven't had quinoa in ages but yes, it seems it has a lot of protein!
I saw your name a few times, Frenchie, and wonder: are you from France?

No, I'm an American. However, I am fourteen nationalities that I know of. Really should do an DNA/23 & Me test. It would be interesting to see if there are more genetic strains from far-flung places in my blood.

My nickname started when I worked in an automotive factory and had to keep correcting my coworkers when they misspelled my name. My intentionally dramatic, outrageous diatribe?

My name is Michèle
With one L!
The French way
The right way
The only way
MY way!
Emphatic but you won't forget it!

But they did...

So, again, I would declare (with the same dramatic hand gestures):

My name is Michèle
With one L!
The French way
The right way
The only way
MY way!
Emphatic but you won't forget it!

But they did!!! Again and again.

Finally they replied, "Awwww shuddup! We're just gonna call you Frenchie!" We all had a good laugh and the nickname stuck!

Learned only 20 years ago about the Belgian blood in our family by way of my paternal grandmother from Scotland! She was a rebel! Married a verrrrry brown man from the Philippines who just happened to be major Filipino royalty and minor Spanish royalty. That Spanish side? That's where the French came from. In the history books. A Spanish-French ancestor was instrumental in the Panama Canal Treaty. In obscure Filipino history books you'll see my Spanish forebear mentioned again since he married into Filipino royalty and was appointed provisional governor of all of the Philippines as he was the great landholder in the Province of Loca Sur and more. My great grandmother (the Filipino royal) looks positively aboriginal.

My mother's side? Scandinavian! So, her five children are a walking United Nations.

My husband? Polish (father's side), English and Cherokee (mother's side).

If I'd been able to have children, wow, they'd be 16 nationalities. Point being, I grew up not tolerating differences, not accepting differences but EMBRACING, CELEBRATING differences.

Oh, my mother's five children? Not one of us resembles another. Not one of us resembles either of our parents. Unique. And don't get me started on international cuisine! I grew up in the kitchen and was a sous chef by the age of eleven! Attended cooking class in Paris at the Ecole Escoffier where they couldn't teach me a thing. I confess I never did improve my knife technique (too set in my ways) and I did come home with a couple good recipes.

Oh, I apologize. From the Windy City, accepted a corporate transfer to Music City USA, fell in love, married and moved to the Heart of the Beautiful Bluegrass. We're hurtling toward our 36th Anniversary. Despised by my in-laws, they said "It'll never last!" Well, I'd say 35 years and counting is a good start. We met on January 29, 1985 and married November 10, 1986. Love at first sight! Long engagement because we lived hours apart. So, we celebrate the anniversary of the night we met and also celebrate our wedding anniversary.

Meant to be. Fate. Kismet. Bahksharit!

Thank you so much for sharing!
This is fun!

In France there is both Michelle and Michèle but the latter is according to the orthographic rules 😊 So; good for you! It's a pain typing I think but I learned the shortcuts for accents, a French keyboard to me is pure torture. I prefer using the shortcuts since I don't have to use the accents all the time.

My family is very mixed as well, I have French, Dutch, Spanish, Norwegian, and Arabic blood in my veins. I consider myself European and not attached to any particular country or state. I also embrace and celebrate differences. How wonderful to all be so different. There once was a song where they sang 'Free your mind, the rest will follow, be colourblind, don't be so shallow'. I would blare along but could not bear singing it all, I would replace it with 'don't be colourblind' 😹 I wanna see all colours!
Escoffier! Wow, yes, that's a nice extra to have up your sleeve 💖

I would really like to have my DNA tested.
You mention 23AndMe, this would be the best, you think? I heard about others as well and am still thinking about it, also because of the costs I would need to do this right in one go!