I started serious running in the 70's and did it for years until I switched to speed walking to save my knees. I walk the dogs three miles a day and go on the treadmill two more miles at 4.3 mph. So I thought I'd try a yoga class early last year when I belonged to a different gym. I went in cold turkey thinking how hard could it be since I do all this other stuff. Well, it was very difficult, and I ended up exhausted. I did find out I wasn't in the beginners class but in an advanced one. I think I'd like to do it at home maybe. My new gym doesn't have lessons. My doctor swears by it.

I can't find them online, but I recently bought several pairs of what Macy's advertised as 'leggings' but which are pretty close to what's being described/discussed here. They were in the regular sportswear-not activewear-department with all the other pants, ie not with the exercise clothes. Anyway, they are made of knit fabric, band waist and cut to fit snugly but extremely comfortably. They've got pockets on the back and came in both ankle length and a longer boot cut style. I bought several pairs and love them for work. I always wear a top untucked over slim fit pants anyway since I work in a generally business casual office (university advisor/admin), so they are perfect. The only problem I have is that I accidentally hemmed one pair inside out. So now they have cuffs which really isn't working for the look I'm going for LOL. Once I fix that, good to go.

I liked it as an entertaining read--kept my interest while I was home sick and had time to read stuff that wasn't for work. I thought it was interesting that the narrator was a woman with an alcohol problem. In all the jillions of books that I've read, I don't think a drunken woman has been a main character in any of them. I probably won't see the movie in theaters because I usually don't like the movie versions of books I've read. But if DDs want to go, I would go along with them, or I would watch it on Netflix just to see how they made it work. I do find casting decisions in general to be so interesting. I really like the casting on Mozart in the Jungle, for example, and I feel it contributes a lot to the show's joie de vivre.

Lyban, I'm not a nutritionist and don't play one on TV ;-) But moderation like Chispa noted would apply here for me, too. If I ate the Ryvita for lunch along with processed lunch meat, chips or pasta salad, a muffin for dessert, then that's just too much processed food overall. However, if I topped it with sliced vegetables, hard-boiled egg or avocado, etc., then sides of fruit, a quinoa salad with homemade dressing, or other non-processed foods, then I would be OK with eating it. Also the serving size is 3 slices... it would be easy to cut it back to 2. If you want to try intermittent fasting, I recommend first cutting back on processed foods and improving your regular diet overall. Some people use intermittent fasting as an excuse to binge eat junky food when they're allowed to eat. I don't see the point in that. It's important to me that when I do eat, that I'm eating good, real, healthy food--for 90% of the time... I still enjoy indulgences once in a while. Then, when you want to explore intermittent fasting, do some research. There are a million resources now about IF, and it's good to compare notes, talk with your doctor, etc. The main methods I've tried are: 5:2 IF - I first read about this several years ago when a study came out about effective weight loss in the UK. It was based on something like this approach. I found this approach do-able when I have 2 days a week when I'm super-busy and can keep myself occupied and away from food. 500 calories seems like nothing, but it's a good way to introduce your body to IF. Timed eating: This involves taking in all of your daily calories in a restricted timeframe, like from 10 am to 6 pm, or from noon-4, etc. This link has more information and guidance. It also has a video by Dr. Jason Fung, who's well-known in IF circles. Start slowly and give your body time to adjust. Research tips and strategies (the link above has good ones). Yes, you can exercise on an empty stomach (I do all the time). No, I have not lost muscle mass. No, I am not hungry all the time. Yes, I take a break during special occasions, holidays, vacations, etc. Once my body adjusted, IF became very natural and felt good. I do a combination of the 5:2 and timed eating, just depending upon my schedule. And I'm not a stickler or obsessive over it... it's just how I eat. The most important thing, however, is paying attention to my body. Good luck, and I hope it works for you.