Thought this was interesting.

[Devonviolet]

Good point, @seedcorn. Muscle does weigh more than fat. One of the things that we all inherited, from my father, is big muscles. I've always been told I don't look like I weigh as much as I do. Maybe that is why.

Yes, I have a layer of fat. But, I also have bigger leg & arm muscles. My bicepts make my husband's arms look downright puny. My calf muscles have always been so big (even when I was young & thin) that I can't find boots that fit over them.

 

[digitS']

We are right at the weigh-in moment of the year for me - April Fool's Day.

There is no question that I have gained weight thru the winter. The question is whether it was 15# , or less. I know from having snuck on the scale several times thru the winter that it's closer to 15# than the 7#, I once got away with. I have problems with that one meal ... you know, the one from Thanksgiving in November to dessert on Valentine's Day.

At 170# and 6'2"? That's where I was just about forever ... I was 155# when I was a high school kid but continued to grow and put on weight. Except for being sick and dropping weight for a short while, I stayed below 180# until I began doing the 15# winter weight gain, then 10# summer weight loss. It might have had something to do with what the doctor called, "maturity" .

I don't want to weigh 200+ pounds. Thank you for that extra serving of pie but ...

Maturity must have something to do with the thyroid. Some kind of stats on a whole bunch of people, digitS' amongst them, who begin taking thyroid in their mid-60's. I have warmer toes at night . I'm not sure about the weight differences. I still gain and lose, seasonally.

Another stat is how Americans have gained, on average, over recent decades. I know we are aging , but it's the kids, too! Taking an hour on a Saturday afternoon to sit in a Wal-Mart parking lot can be a disturbing experience. We can do better.

And, why not? Ain't it better to be more active than less? Better to be expecting an olde age not crippled by weight?

Steve

 

[ninnymary]

Steve, I want to prolong using a cane, walker, or wheelchair for as long as possible. That's why I do my best.

Mary

 

[digitS']

Too late for me, Mary .

But, I do quite well with a 4-prong cultivator on garden paths!

Used the shovel, yesterday. Leaving now with a spading fork and rake! Got the greenhouse open under a blue sky and golden sun.

Steve

 

[Devonviolet]

Too late for me too. you are smart to be proactive Mary. If you are able to manage your weight with diet & exercise, that is ideal and awesome!

Lyme Disease & Fibromyalgia have wrecked havoc with my joints. I have severe arthritis in both ankles. The foot doctor says that kind of arthritis is very common in people with pronated ankles (like mine) and Fibromyalgia & Lyme.

So, while I have the strength, to do the work, joint pain usually puts an end to my work, on the farm, before fatigue even comes into play.

Being a stubborn German/Irish, I usually push until I can hardly move & then spend the next day recouperating with ice & arnica gel on my joints.

 

[Carol Dee]

Wow @Devonviolet our ankles and feet are sounding much the same! Ugh. Sorry to hear it, because I sure can sympathize with your pain. Luckily I have not had to deal with Lyme or Fibromyalgia. that would be rubbing salt in the wounds.

 

[Devonviolet]

Wow @Devonviolet our ankles and feet are sounding much the same! Ugh. Sorry to hear it, because I sure can sympathize with your pain. Luckily I have not had to deal with Lyme or Fibromyalgia. that would be rubbing salt in the wounds.

I'm glad you don't have to deal with Lyme & Fibromyalgia, sweet Carol! I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy!

The Lyme & Epstein Barr Virus, combined, almost killed me back in 2008. My immune system had crashed (as in non-existant). I was sleeping 16 hours a day & the other 8 hours I sat in my recliner doing nothing. It was a nightmare!

Thank God I found an awesome Integrative (alternative) doctor, who started giving me herbs, supplements & nutriceuticals to build up my immune system, so my body could fight the Lyme & Epstein Barr Virus.

It took 8 months before I even started feeling better. Then, it was another 3 years of slow progress, as my body healed.

Today, my immune system is strong & I learned a lot about alternative medicine, so that I can keep the Lyme in remission.

The only after effects, of the Lyme are the arthritis & nerve pain. I deal with that mostly using ice, homeopathic & herbal remedies. On occasion it is so bad I take one Excederine. But that is a rare occasion!

 

[ninnymary]

Too late for me, Mary .

But, I do quite well with a 4-prong cultivator on garden paths!

Used the shovel, yesterday. Leaving now with a spading fork and rake! Got the greenhouse open under a blue sky and golden sun.

Steve

You're not in a wheelchair that I know of, so it's not too late and you are doing something about it. Your walking that mile is awesome.

Mary

 

[ninnymary]

Oh Devonviolet that is awful to feel such pain in the joints. I'm glad you have improved and learned how to control it. So glad you found that doctor.

Mary

 

[digitS']

@Devonviolet did you have to leave Texas to contract Lyme or is it there also? We had a wonderfully active TEG gardener, @Reinbeau, who became ill in either Massachusetts or Maine. She has not joined us here in a long time.

I also had an autoimmune illness, probably from early childhood. In my late twenties I was quite ill and finally diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. The flare-ups subsided by the early forties but, by then, I'd lost most of the use of my left leg. I also blame the fevers and inflammation for hearing loss ... but, I don't need to hear to get around ... unless I step in front of a train .

I have enuf trouble without adding (any more) fat. I've also shrunk over the years . The nurse now tells me I'm only 6'. By the time I hit 5'6", I'd better weigh only about 150# ... I figure.

Steve