Eating like a geezer

[cashflo2u2]

My wife and I have been retired about 6 years now. Many of our friends and relatives now eat their main meals at midday and don't eat much of anything after 5PM. We still eat a robust meal anywhere between 6:30 and 7:30 PM, put on the music and enjoy home cooking together. I like cooking with wine (sometimes I even put it in the food). We still go out to eat often. They don't even like going out at night. Are we going to die? Should we be eating like geezers now?

[Notmuchlonger]

Great thing about this. There is no right way. You are retired and can do whatever the heck you want

My in laws are in their mid 80s. Both in good health. They get up really early around 4 to 6. Eat lunch earlier than most and eat dinner earlier than most. Get to bed early. They must have been doing something right in retirement.

[SteveR]

We tend to eat less per meal and are starting to split meals because of the huge portion sizes in most resaurants. I have GERD so I don't like to eat a large meal after 7 PM unless I am not going to bed until pretty late. DW eats very little so a full meal for her will be lunch the next day or maybe two.

Some older folks like to catch the Senior discounts at some places so tend to eat 5-6PM to get it. Others just don't want to deal with the screaming kids and cell phone chatter of the younger crowds so eat early to avoid them.

I think a lot of the eating early phase of retirement is more related to age than anything else. Older folks tend to go to bed earlier so eating earlier makes sense. I guess they just run out of things to do other than eat and watch TV before they go to bed at 9 PM. My FIL gets up at 6 AM and has a very very regimented time schedule for eating and other activities....heaven help you if you upset his schedule. Dinner IS 5:30PM...everyday. Be prepared of pay the price of his wrath.

I hope I don't get that way when I am 80+.

[OAG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveR We tend to eat less per meal and are starting to split meals because of the huge portion sizes in most resaurants. I have GERD so I don't like to eat a large meal after 7 PM unless I am not going to bed until pretty late. DW eats very little so a full meal for her will be lunch the next day or maybe two. Some older folks like to catch the Senior discounts at some places so tend to eat 5-6PM to get it. Others just don't want to deal with the screaming kids and cell phone chatter of the younger crowds so eat early to avoid them. I think a lot of the eating early phase of retirement is more related to age than anything else. Older folks tend to go to bed earlier so eating earlier makes sense. I guess they just run out of things to do other than eat and watch TV before they go to bed at 9 PM. My FIL gets up at 6 AM and has a very very regimented time schedule for eating and other activities....heaven help you if you upset his schedule. Dinner IS 5:30PM...everyday. Be prepared of pay the price of his wrath. I hope I don't get that way when I am 80+.

Steve, I think you may - IMO kind of goes with age, I think. I have to really work at not getting upset when stuff does not happen as I think it should have. Takes a concerted effort to just "go with the flow" and not let things get under my skin. I think it started at about age 60 (now almost 68). Fortunately, it helps to have a DW that just puts up with me. I wish you good luck.

[SteveR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by R Wood Steve, I think you may - IMO kind of goes with age, I think. I have to really work at not getting upset when stuff does not happen as I think it should have. Takes a concerted effort to just "go with the flow" and not let things get under my skin. I think it started at about age 60 (now almost 68). Fortunately, it helps to have a DW that just puts up with me. I wish you good luck.

And I thought it was just because I don't like to be around people.

[cashflo2u2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveR I think a lot of the eating early phase of retirement is more related to age than anything else. Older folks tend to go to bed earlier so eating earlier makes sense. I guess they just run out of things to do other than eat and watch TV before they go to bed at 9 PM. My FIL gets up at 6 AM and has a very very regimented time schedule for eating and other activities....heaven help you if you upset his schedule. Dinner IS 5:30PM...everyday. Be prepared of pay the price of his wrath. I hope I don't get that way when I am 80+.

Yes, that sounds like my Mother and some in-laws who are hyper geezers. Eat at 4PM sharp and God help you if you interrupt that routine. NO HEAT OR SPICE in the food anymore. Can't eat salmon or other rich foods because they "can't digest it". Can't see at night and tend to drive up over curbs. Need to wear those flip up sun shades that attach to the regular sun glasses during the sunny days. Are they just aging nerds or are we all doomed?

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cashflo2u2 Are we going to die?

I'm afraid so, better chow down while you can.

[TromboneAl]

The key to eating like a geezer is to open you mouth and stick your tongue out as you start to move the spoon from the plate or bowl.

[REWahoo]

Al, sounds like you've been practicing...

[Moemg]

The key to eating like a geezer is to show up for happy hour promptly at 4 so you can throw a few martinis down while the little woman has pink chablis before you get the all you can eat fish & chips from the early bird menu for $6.99.

[Notmuchlonger]

Thats it. Im going to stop aging right now.

[Moemg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Notmuchlonger Thats it. Im going to stop aging right now.

Why you don't like two for one martinis ?

[Notmuchlonger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moemg Why you don't like two for one martinis ?

No thats good. The whole tongue thing Al did...

[Walt34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Notmuchlonger Thats it. Im going to stop aging right now.

I've been trying to do that too. I think that in most cases it's fatal.

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cashflo2u2 My wife and I have been retired about 6 years now. Many of our friends and relatives now eat their main meals at midday and don't eat much of anything after 5PM. We still eat a robust meal anywhere between 6:30 and 7:30 PM, put on the music and enjoy home cooking together. I like cooking with wine (sometimes I even put it in the food). We still go out to eat often. They don't even like going out at night. Are we going to die? Should we be eating like geezers now?

We eat a light dinner because we have taekwondo workouts three nights a week. Not much fun getting kicked in the head while you're burping up pepperoni pizza.

As for that "going out at night" thing, my FIL had a lot of problems with glare and loss of night vision. I started driving them to evening events when they were still in their 60s. I think it's the next aging betrayal after presbyopia and getting up six times a night...

[Khan]

Now that Spring has arrived and the farmers' market is open, I am working on reconfigurating what and when I eat.

[cashflo2u2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moemg The key to eating like a geezer is to show up for happy hour promptly at 4 so you can throw a few martinis down while the little woman has pink chablis before you get the all you can eat fish & chips from the early bird menu for $6.99.

Hey, you make it sound nice. Maybe the geezer route ain't so bad afterall.

[OldGuy]

In one small step toward geezeritis, we've started eating lunch, rather than supper, in restaurants - smaller portions, lower cost, and usually the same amount of take-home for another meal. One local Japanese restaurant even offers different bento boxes each weekday - miso soup, salad, 4-5 pcs tempura veggies, meat/fish & tea for $6.99 (!). We stop about 2pm after the w#rking class has clocked back in & things are more relaxed, enjoy lunch, and are back in the barn before rush hour.

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Dont let Al kid you. Spoons are expensive.

[lsbcal]

The French tend to eat late and they are doing OK by life expectancy stats: Image:Life Expectancy 2007 Estimates CIA World Factbook.PNG - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

DW tends to want to eat very early since she has the kind of stomach that gets sicky if not fed on time -- or so she claims. It was hard to hold off until 7:30pm when we were in France. The claim is you can tell the Americans in France by who is eating in the restaurants at 6:30pm.