COMMENTS

9 responses to “Open Thread: COVID-19…Pounds?”

1. At first i lost weight, maybe due to less food inhouse and lack of appetite because of what was happening, but slowly the 5 lbs lost, coming back due to better prepared meals and/or more groceries available! Senior Planet exercise classes are a plus as far as feeling better even if my weight is what it is;)

   Reply to Lucy

2. I will credit Cas and Fiona, and Sr Planet overall, for my weight loss of 7 pounds ! And I wasn’t trying. When Covid arrived, I just found myself suddenly making a decision not to use food for comfort. It’s usually easier for me to gain weight than to lose it. And very early on, I found out that Senior Planet was offering quite a number of very good Fitness classes including Fit Fusion, which is where Cas and Fiona, our instructors, came in. I looked into it because I normally would have been taking four outside Fitness classes a week and knew I had to do something beyond the workouts I do on my own. In between the days of the Fusion classes, I try other things such as Cas’ T’ai Chi etc. I am walking quite a bit even if often just indoors, and most days I’m doing about 50 minutes of various exercises. Because I don’t have to commute to an in-person Fitness class, I’m more likely to eat my meals at normal times. As for the food I’ve been eating, I just have made a point of finally deciding that if I’m often here all day, I can make a little extra effort to eat enough fruits and vegetables etc. In all fairness, tho, I will admit to just having eaten a brownie made for me by my brother, because I am of course dtill human after all. Really, I hope we’re all just doing the best we can. And by the way, thank you Senior Planet for being there for us literally. I also take some of the other classes and always enjoy them. And I feel like I have made some new friends, because somehow the Zoom classes are more personal than being 30 feet from the instructor in a large in-person class. You’all really listen to people and show caring as well as intelligence in all you do. Truly, you folks have gone above and beyond. Sorry for such a long message.

   Reply to Arlene Stanton

3. Unfortunately, I have gained weight. I started out working on doing everything I could to stay healthy and not eating things I shouldn’t, but in April, I was diagnosed with a corneal ulcer with hypopyon. I was told it is very severe, and I could lose my eye. If it does get cured, I am looking at a corneal transplant and do not know what kind of vision I will have.
   Being the baby that I am, I started eating any and everything that is not good for me. I quit cooking and have been eating lots of ice cream. I don’t exercise at all. To be fair to myself, I have not been able to do things I would normally do, but I did not have to go off the deep end. I am tired of this and will start preparing easy dishes that are healthy.
   Let’s hope we all stay healthy!

   Reply to Susan Vargas

   1. Hi Susan, I am sorry you have a corneal ulcer. It is certainly something to take very seriously and get proper treatment, I, too, have a corneal ulcer which was diagnosed in early April. It was infected but fortunately the infection is now gone. I initially was given antibiotic and then steroid drops. More recently a thinning of the cornea was spotted next to the ulcer. But I have a very good Opthalmologist whom I believe is giving me excellent treatment. Recently, he inserted “plugs” in the tear ducts of that eye and also placed a medical grade soft contact lens on it. After a week, the corneal thinning was halted and the ulcer is finally diminishing in size. I have my second soft contact lens and hope to see even more improvement at my appointment next week. My doctor has me use preservative-free drops for dry eyes every two hours and I still use the antibiotic drops twice a day. I encourage you to see the best doctor you can, follow his or her advice, keep your eyes hydrated. Also, my doctor has me take 1000 mg of Vitamin C a day. I know every case is different and your situation may require different measures than mine. But I wanted to share my experience and encourage you to do whatever you can to clear up that ulcer. Wishing you a full recovery. Kind regards, Leslie T.

      Reply to Leslie Taylor

4. I was just prescribed mirtazapine for depression. Found out it causes weight gain.
   That and limited exercise because of the virus have caused 10 lb weight gain. Clothes don’t fit and nothing I do works to get weight back to normal. First time I’m having trouble with weight and it thoroughly sucks. I feel for all those in a similar boat.

   Reply to Nildy

5. I’m trying to practice compassion and acceptance during this lockdown and be kind to myself for using food as one of my coping mechanisms so that I don’t add even more stress to an already stressful situation. I have gained a little weight but can still get into my jeans so I am not as upset as I might be. However, it is combined with my changing body; my weight seems to be shifting and my pear shape is becoming an apple. This is so upsetting because I don’t feel like it is my body, and no matter what I try to do I can’t seem to lose weight or control my becoming-appleness. It is depressing! and it makes me angry that no one talks about this happening as we age!

   Reply to Georgeanna

   1. Totally agree. As one ages the hormones decrease to work off the stored fat. My weight may be 2/3 lbs extra during COVID but my belly and waist have become unsightly. Even tho I am physically active. What can one do ????

      Reply to mArian spatz

6. I stopped drinking coffee on March 16th and also my usual beer, wine or hard cider. I miss my Irish Bar/restaurant ,but I have lost 16 lbs!! I’m thrilled.
   That is really my only change, everything else remained essentially the same. Except for streaming and reading more than usual. I’m 70, so I really feel the loss of the weight.

   Reply to Robert Davis

   1. Congratulations! Hope you are feeling much better. Keep up the good work.

      Reply to Susan Vargas