michmike

just back from a cruise on HAL earlier this month. We travel w/ another couple and had adjoining balcony rooms. We always have the cabin steward open the divider between the balconies so that we have one large balcony. I was sitting out on our portion of it one afternoon and heard a door open nearby. Thought maybe it was our friends coming out. Nope... was the guy in the room next to them. He came right up to the railing on his balcony and thru some combination of the positioning of the sun and the reflective glass surfaces of the balcony railings, one could see that he was naked. Got the full frontal view. *ewwwww*

 

Was tempted to leave a note in his mailbox that invited him to the naturalists' luncheon the following day. Would likely have had him scratching his head (or other parts) for the rest of the week, wondering how anyone knew. PUT A ROBE ON!!!!!

My dad always had a pair of pants he called his dancing pants.... when unsuspecting folks asked why he called them that, he'd grin and reply that they had plenty of ballroom.

 

He's been gone for 17 yrs now, but there are plenty of those groaners that remain behind to entertain (or not) his progeny.

Did you post on this thread in error?

 

was posting in response to comments on page 2 by billie 5 and noobcruise re the age of the guy who was missing, relative to THEIR ages...

 

but thanks for your concern.. those of us in our dotage CAN wander at times.. hence the "day of the week" floor mats in the elevators on many HAL ships

This fella who will be 65 on Thursday is here to tell those who were bemoaning 40 that they are still kids... wife will tell you that that is the problem w/ me as well *L*

 

will be proudly wearing my jimmy buffett "growing older, but not up!" t-shirt when Nieuw Amsterdam calls at Ocho Rios next week and we visit Margaritaville

a mini is 350 calories and a small is 550 calories, so neither one of them is a very good choice for those of us that are trying to make headway on our weight. If you want to make a donation to the children's miracle network, then write them a check.

 

Do something for yourself by passing up those 350-550 empty calories. This from a guy who now drives past the same donut shop where he stopped every workday morning for the past 2 1/2 years. Do I want one? Sure... but I want to be healthier and off my diabetes meds more (not to mention being in pants that are 10 inches smaller than those I wore in February).

 

All about choices. Don't see any scenario where a blizzard is a good one. Sorry.

I love children but I could not eat a whole one:D

 

 

*laffin* love it!! a kindred spirit.

1st of all, we cruise HAL which has relatively few urchins on board. That having been said, buddy and I do a head count of the little darlins the first day, and then divide that total by the number of days on the cruise (28 kids, 7 day cruise, means we have to toss 4 overboard a day)

 

It is relatively easy to winnow them out as Mom and Dad tend to be clueless anyway. By day 4 or 5 it is MUCH quieter and it becomes more of a challenge to find them unwatched... but hey, trails of tootsie rolls will work. Days 6 and 7 are bliss, w/ myriad quiet corners where we can enjoy a good book w/o the patter of little feet and petulant whining.

 

Now that we are mid 60s, we avoid school holiday periods and such, as our backs can't handle hoisting more than 7 or 8 kids a day.

don't mean to be judgemental as we are all in this together, but you're going to have trouble getting where you want to be if you continue to eat things like cookies and ice cream, regardless of the quantities or the amount of exercise you get.

 

I've lost 65 pounds since the end of February and while that has been in a medically supervised program, the biggest reason it has happened is that I'm changing my lifestyle. This from a guy who for years stopped every morning for a donut on the way to work and started sunday mornings w/ pastries from a local bakery, before moving on to sausage gravy and biscuits or blueberry pancakes w/ maple syrup. Often stopped at McDonalds on the way home for a cup of coffee and 3 of their choc chip cookies (480 calories) and then went home and ate a substantial supper and then answered the siren call of the ice cream tub about 9:30 at nite. So been there, done that.

 

Finally decided as I neared retirement that I had to make some changes in my life. With the support of the diet program it has been easier than I thought. I've reached a point where feeling better and buying smaller pants is more important to me than the donuts, cookies and ice cream. Wife is on the program with me, and has lost 59 pounds in that same period. Our biggest form of entertainment used to be going out to eat. Now we avoid restaurants as much as possible (and fast food entirely) and when we do go. we take our own packets of diet salad dressing (can be purchased online) and generally order fish and a veggie, along w/ a salad (and ask that they leave off croutons and cheese or egg). When we travel in the car we always carry a cooler w/ acceptable meal options in it, so that we don't have to fall back on restaurants if we are gone longer than we planned.

 

Now for entertainment we are going to more concerts, movies, walking and went out and bought bikes (first time on bikes in 30 years).

 

I told the dietitian we are working with that I ate what I darn well pleased for 64 years, so if I only have to clean up my act for the next 20 or so then that isn't such a bad deal. I just wish we had tackled the problem at your age as we would have had a better quality of life and likely wouldn't both have had to have our knees replaced.

 

Good luck in your quest. Just wanted to share my experience and see if there might be something of value for you in it.

 

Also take a look at the books I recommended a few posts ago. They were a big help to me. Also take a look at Chobani Greek Yogurt as a breakfast option. A good tasting product that comes in many flavors and is only 140 calories and has 14 grams of protein which is a great start to the day.

 

Mike

not really a cruise story, but a travel story -

 

Just recently lost 65 pounds. We were headed to Florida for a trip a couple of weeks ago. Took our 14 yr old grand niece along. Even though I've purchased smaller pants, they were a bit loose as I'm continuing to lose. Fine when cinched w/ a belt, but of course the TSA folks make you take that off. With the new full body scanners they have you put your hands up above your head and as I did that, the pants dropped to my knees.

 

Apparently the only ones who saw that (or at least would admit to it *L*) were my grand niece and the TSA lady. Once more case where Mom's admonitions to go out in public in clean undies paid off.

 

Needless to say, on the return trip. I pulled the pants almost up to my armpits before entering the scanner and avoided a playback.

wife and I have been on the 24 week optifast program since the end of February. As of last Monday, I had lost 62 pounds and she has lost 58.

 

Even though I've purchased smaller pants, they are still loose enough that a couple weeks ago when flying out of Detroit to Ft Myers, when I lifted my hands up above my head for the new full body scanner, those nearby got a good look at my undies as pants ended up around my knees. *L* A new problem to have, but a good one.

 

I highly recommend a book titled "Bread is the Devil" for anyone who is currently doing well on a program of any kind, but needs some advice/perspective on how to keep the changes in place. Another good book is "The skinny on losing weight w/o being hungry" by Dr Louis Aronne. Don't have to go out and buy those. Just check w/ your local library. If they don't have them they can likely borrow them from another library in their network.

 

Most of my reading says that 70+ % of folks who lose weight thru whatever means, end up putting much of it back on within a couple of years. We're determined not to be part of that statistic and the better handle you can get on the reasons you ate the way you did and the realization that you can never go back to those behaviors. I think the better your odds are of beating the stats.

 

Was out yesterday shopping for a bike as I still want to take off another 38 pounds before we cruise in December.

here's an update on (and a plug for) a program called Optifast that wife and I are doing thru a local hospital.

 

13 weeks into the program and I've lost 57 pounds and wife has lost 46. I've struggled all my life w/ weight (started this program at 325 and that wasn't the heaviest I have ever been). 11 weeks left in the program , but we will continue w/ dieting (actually more a matter of eating right) afterward. My initial goal was 75 pounds by our upcoming Dec cruise, but now I'm shooting to take off 100 total, maybe not all by Dec, but long range.

 

I'm here to tell you that this program works. Not cheap, but an investment in ourselves that we won't regret.

Wife and I are currently on a medically supervised diet where we eat only products provided by the hospital (program is called Optifast) . Between us , we've lost over 80 lbs in 10 weeks.

 

But in a couple of weeks we begin a 12 week transition back to eating regular food (although obviously better choices than we made previously).

 

At any rate, I was in the book store a couple weeks ago and ran across a book in the discounted section, called "The Skinny - On losing weight w/o being hungry" by Dr Louis Aronne. Lots of good insights in there. Promotes a low carb based diet w/ mandatory breakfast, concentating on protein.

 

While he advocates exercise at later stages of the diet, he makes the point that the real change agent in weight loss is changing previous eating habits and cautions against the mindset that by exercising we earn the "entitlement" to indulge in food items that have been problematic for us in the past.

 

Aronne is the guy who diagnosed David Letterman's heart issues and there is an endorsement on the book's cover by Dr Oz (for those for whom that matters). At any rate, as one who ate what they damn well pleased for 64 yrs (and paid the price) I'm now determined to clean up my act for however long I have left (and better enjoy retirement, which is on the horizon) and I felt there was quite a bit of insight and direction in this book that will help in that journey.

 

I do admit to a certain bit of guilt over the donut shop's imminent bankruptcy now that I no longer stop every morning.... but hey... collateral damage

 

Good luck in YOUR journeys

has been 10 weeks now and I have lost 48 1/2 # and wife has lost 37, so color us believers. Still quite a way to go, but at this point I'm aiming to have 100 # off by our Dec cruise.

 

Quite a motivator to go in and buy slacks that are 6" smaller. *S*

Afterwards' date=' I went searching for a quick beach before I had to get back onboard and didn't get close enough, but I was propositioned by a Charlotte Amalie hooker...

[/quote']

 

Where did you say that beach was? Just so happens I collect hookers... small world, eh?

Didn't read thru all of this, but wife and I as we approached mid 60s decided that it was time to shape up, so started a program called Optifast a month ago. It is run thru local hospitals and involves medical supervison, a behavioral therapist and a physical therapist. There are 3 options for meals: a powdered shake mix, nutrition bars and 2 flavors of a powdered soup mix (chicken or tomato). You consume 2 of each item a day for a total of 6 "meals". Total calorie count per day is 960.

 

Will tell you that I have tried any number of diets over the years and this is the first one I have been on where I didn't feel hungry and have cravings all the time. We've been on it 4 weeks now and I've lost 26 pounds and wife has lost 22. We do this part for a total of 12 weeks and then for the following 12 weeks we reintroduce food in place of 1 of these "meals" every 2 weeks until by the end of week 24 overall we are back to eating, not what we used to eat, but healthy, reasoned choices. So we shall see.

 

Will tell you that I was an adult onset diabetic and am now off all diabetes meds and my sugars are running in the mid 90s.

 

My goal is to have at least 75 pounds off by our Dec HAL cruise to celebrate my 65th birthday. Imagine that my wife won't be far behind me.

 

Congrats and good luck to all of you in your efforts.

 

I'll stop back in from time to time to update you on our progress.

If you enjoy a good adventure yarn. Try him and you'll be hooked.

 

I'd start w/ Birds of Prey and then follow up (sequels) w/ Monsson and Blue Horizon.

At 64, there are folks in the obits every nite younger than me, so you never know how much time you have left. Don't want to be like my in-laws and do the "wish we had" thing once their health went bad.

 

I'm still working so that we can afford to travel when we want to. (Wife is a bit younger and works as well). Have cruise # 11 booked for this coming December. We came back from our 2nd cruise and waxed so enthusiastic that our best friends decided to join us on #3 and have been on all the trips since. Thankfully we all get along well and have a great time together. Only regret we have is that we waited until we were in our 50s to get started.

laffin .. OP and others who are in agreement w/ them about the loonies w/ stuffed animals had best hoped they never get the 4 of us at their table. We are all mid 60s and can often be found wearing our Margaritaville "Growing older but not UP!" t shirts and carrying our bag of tricks, with rubber chickens, screaming flying monkeys, pirate eye patches, groucho glasses and burger king crowns.

 

We have met more fun people w/ all that paraphenalia..and others look at us and shudder and head the other direction.. oh well

 

We're heading out again on HAL's Nieuw Amsterdam on 12/9/12. Come join the insanity!

 

I've attached a pic of the chickens... Sal Monella and his girlfriend, Kaye F. Sea, as well as the monkeys.

We were last at HMC in Jan of 11. Just booked a new trip for this coming Dec, but I can't access booking for excursions (and cabana) as yet. (too far out)

Seems that we paid $250 last time for a cabana. Is that still what they are going for?

Will definitely be booking #10 or higher, as last time, in the pink one, we couldn't escape the damn racket from the Capt Morgan atrocity.

Thanks in advance. Mike

For us, the best part of trivia is the fun people you meet. We'll never forget the group of guys from Ohio who called their team "The Nads" and their wives formed a cheering section, chanting "GO Nads! Go Nads!" priceless!

 

But I'm with others on the prizes how much can 4 or 5 mugs really cost? Much better than those darn key chains and luggage tags.

ahhhhhhh the Allied Nautical Angst Lobby ..thankfully they don't seem to hang in the bars or at team trivia so I manage to miss most of them when I cruise... might not be doing my liver any good, but it sure contributes to my joie de vivre.

 

Big Steve, I'll watch for you in the bar.. I think we could pass 30 min or so w/o resorting to an incantation of "the RULES"

Not a bunch here I'd want to cruise with. Not a sense of humor among them. I thought it was inventive. Have spent 33 yrs working w/ convicts and the world would be a better place if more kids occupied themselves w/ what amounts to victimless and imaginative pursuits.

 

So you had to wait for another elevator. Were you on deadline? You're on VACATION.. roll w/ the punches..

2 teens got bored on HAL and they hijacked the future cruise consultant's desk and a couple of chairs and loaded them into the elevator then rode up and down and as folks tried to board, the boys asked them if they had reservations. Sounds like a relatively innocent and amusing way to pass an afternoon.

The mention of cruise books got me thinking about the "Walter, The Farting Dog" series of kids books (or kids at heart like me). At any rate, one of the titles is Walter takes a cruise. For any of you with grandkids, that would certainly be a hit with them (even if it DOES appall (sp?) their parents.

OK, OK.... what was I thinking? leaving out Capt Morgan.. a cola's best friend