Thanks for your comments, Maryjane. One of my fitness classes is a 30-minute weight class once a week. I asked the instructor just last week what he recommended as a good regimen for seniors and he said for me to do that 30-minute weight regimen three times a week. One needs to find the weight regimen that’s right for him or her to start with, and then build from there. I am currently using three-pound weights and hopefully I can go to five-pound weights at some point, but I won’t do that until I know I’m ready. I just had my first bone scan since I was in my 50s (I’m now 72) and I have osteopenia, which basically means I have lower bone density than young women in their 20s. It’s not necessarily a precursor to osteoporosis. It was recommended that I make sure I’m getting enough calcium (I’m a big milk drinker!) and continue my weight classes.

Don, I agree with all you said. Why WW was a good jump-starter for me is that it got me keeping a food diary. I realized pretty early on that there were ways to work the system that don’t necessarily instill those good eating habits, and thanks for mentioning portion control–very important! I meant to include that in my “mindful eating” section. The “mindful eating” helps make those smaller portions last longer! One more note about Weight Watchers: I know more that a few people who did manage to lose weight and keep it off by joining WW.

MJ knight