Food & drink habits: maintaining discipline

[The Cosmic Avenger]

OK, so I like good food, good beer, and good whisky. I have a routine now where I don't drink when I have to go into the office the next day, and I very rarely go out to eat on a weeknight because we have a high school aged child in the house. But once we're empty nesters, especially when we're retired, I'm concerned that I'll be going to happy hour every day, and even if I'm still tracking my calorie intake, I might slack off a lot. I exercise more when I am home, as we have an elliptical machine in the basement facing a TV, but if I don't have a routine I'm not sure I'll keep with it.

For those of you who have retired, what's your experience with your diet and vices after you retired? Have things changed, for better or worse?

 

[Walt34]

For those of you who have retired, what's your experience with your diet and vices after you retired? Have things changed, for better or worse?

Not much change really. The big change came ~30 years ago when I found out I had celiac disease (sounds worse than it is, at least in my case) but I had to make major dietary changes and began eating a lot more salads. I used to fill a big Tupperware bowl with a salad that took an hour to make and eat off of that for almost a week and now find myself indulging in my inner lazyness more often and buying prepared salads at the grocery store. Not frugal I know, but it's easily affordable so why not.

With more free time, I'm at the gym three or four times a week, I never did that when working, but did do exercises at home.

 

[MRG]

Everything changed for both DW and I. We were obese, lost a combined(equally distributed) 110 pounds, and have maintained that weight for three years. We eat and drink better. Between the two of us we've quit taking 8 daily prescription drugs, with our doctor's OK.[emoji12]

We exercise together 3X weekly and I go another 3X by myself. On off days, including my 3X days, we walk or hike another one or more miles. I actually jog or sometimes almost run. At 7500' that's not a joke!

It's all about goals, I guess. I wanted to feel better. I really do. Often, people from my past don't recognize me. When I had cataract surgery done the pre-op nurse from the hospital almost wouldn't talk to me because my medications were zero and my weight changed. I had to tell her the meds I used to take before I lost weight.

It took months for me to realize my new size when I was losing weight rapidly. I'd go grocery shopping and not realize I could easily fit through a place between a cart and whatever. People would look at me funny. "Go ahead buddy"! [emoji1]

 

[friar1610]

I've been retired for 15 years and am now 73. My diet is much the same as during my working career except as noted below. I gave up alcohol about 4 years ago, so that's either healthier or less healthy, depending on the research you believe. I think my body craves the sugar it misses from the maltose I used to get from beer metabolizing, so I do eat more sweets now. I have not personally experienced the phenomenon some older folks do of having a diminished appetite and have yet to order a smaller senior portion in a restaurant. I was a pretty regular exerciser during my working career (mostly military where physical fitness is not optional) and remain so today. With an older body, my workout routine has changed some and is a bit gentler but still an essential part of my life. I found the most challenging period for exercise to be the period when I worked in a corporate setting after military retirement but prior to real retirement. I drink less soda now, about the same amount of coffee/tea. I do sleep more (a good 8 hours a night) and doze off mid-afternoon for a bit if I don't have something in particular to do. My weight fluctuates within 5-10 pounds either way from a midpoint and at the moment I'm probably 5-7 pounds above my retirement weight. So in my case I didn't go absolutely crazy indulging myself when I retired but I may have slacked off a wee bit.

 

[Aerides]

I think you'll find once you retire, it doesn't become "woo hoo every night is Friday night!".

And you'll probably still find some routines, even once your kids leave. You might also find that a good part of the attraction to the idea of a happy hour or a nightly couple of somethings, is as stress relief from the job - no job no stress, no need for a scotch at 6pm. It will depend also on how much your spouse partakes or wants to go out as well.

Not to say you might have a bit more than you do now, but if it concerns you and you already see it might be a challenge - ie, the work schedule is the only guardrail between you and a potential daily habit - you might want to explore that now with some therapy?

 

[Live And Learn]

At first, since every night was Friday, I did drink more frequently. But I ate less (I am a stress eater - retirement = no stress -> less need to need). I also ate better (more veggies, less snack food). I lost 6% of my body weight the first year and I was definitely not trying to lose weight. Years 2 and 3 I decided I liked the weightloss and lost an additional 17% of my starting weight. I cut my drinking down only to Friday and Saturday nights but I still put down 12 - 14 beers over those two nights. I want to lose another 6% of my initial weight and have now switched from beer to spike diet coke - I only put a capful of booze in a 20 ounce glass. Booze was the last place I had left to cut calories. Haven't lost any additional weight yet but it's only be a few weeks. What I really need is more exercise ...

 

[FIREd]

Nothing changed for us after retirement. Three meals a day (same menu and portion size as when we were working), no snacking between meals. One drink per day usually (one glass of wine, or one beer, or one cocktail).

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Thanks everyone. To clarify, I lost 70 lbs since 2009, and while it's fluctuated a bit, I've been maintaining pretty well. The problem is that I still like food, and would overeat if I wasn't tracking my food (MyFitnessPal). I don't really stress eat or drink, I just like good food, good craft beer, and good whisky, mostly scotch. I joke that scotch and beer are hobbies of mine, but it's true, I'll travel to tasting events with a few friends of mine.

I guess I wasn't really worried too much about drinking in retirement, as I don't drink heavily any longer. I think I am more worried about my eating and exercising habits, as I only started a light exercise regimen this year. Before that it was just walking. I hope to do a lot of walking in retirement, too, though!

 

[Jerry1]

I guess, like most things, it’s individual/personal. I am only 6 months into retirement and am not doing as well as I had hoped. I guess it’s true that hope is not a strategy. I pretty much never exercised and while I have tried to get on a program since retiring, I haven’t stuck with anything. In a small way, not sitting at a desk, and doing stuff around the house, plus some golfing, I do move around more, but I won’t insult those who actually make an effort and call what I do exercise.

Eating has been a challenge too. Work was structured. Eat in the morning, have lunch at work and dinner at night. I had lost a good deal of weight and kept it off for several years, so my eating habits are not bad at all, but I find myself eating more and am up about 5 pounds.

So, to the OP, I say, your concern is valid. I wish I had a framework to recommend, but acknowledgement is a good start. For others, I appreciate your responses, especially if they reflect how you got on a better track. I’m thinking of a few classes at the community college (continuing education physical ed), to force some discipline.

 

[Midpack]

Things got better for some, worse for some and stayed the same for some. Your experience with eating-drinking and health in retirement will ultimately stem from your self discipline-priorities, that doesn’t change just because you’ve retired. DW and I eat about the same and we’ve continued to exercise regularly in retirement. I rarely snack during the day - a deliberate choice. I’ve deliberately chosen to replace some of the hours I worked in a day with active pursuits like sailing, golf, biking, kayaking, etc. Those activities include social interaction - a deliberate choice. Watching TV is the downfall of some retirees, but I watch less TV now, and not at all during the day - a deliberate choice.

I know I’ve read several accounts of others here who’ve made regular exercise a part of their retirement activities and gotten healthier. It’s a choice we all make, retired or not.

 

[Freedom56]

For those of you who have retired, what's your experience with your diet and vices after you retired? Have things changed, for better or worse?

I had free meals and all the snacks and drinks I wanted at work. That temptation is gone. My wife and I are pretty active (cycling, hiking, running, swimming) so we have never been overweight. We have both firmed up more since retiring primarily due to more cycling and hiking. Your doctor should have told you that your metabolic rate declines after age 40 and you need to compensate by eating less and increasing your level of excercise. I would avoid consuming excessive amounts of alchohol.

 

[athena53]

Everything changed for both DW and I. We were obese, lost a combined(equally distributed) 110 pounds, and have maintained that weight for three years. We eat and drink better. Between the two of us we've quit taking 8 daily prescription drugs, with our doctor's OK

I LOVE stories such as yours! I wish more people would/could do this.

To the OP- Four years post-retirement, I've lost maybe another 5 lbs. but my BMI is 19 so I didn't have much to lose. I always had a daily gym workout but it's longer and probably more intense now. I've always loved vegetables and am not much into eating large pieces of meat. I've gradually cut back on potatoes, pasta, rice, etc. because I'm borderline diabetic and that's helped- I eat a lot more quinoa, bulghur, barley and other whole grains. A lot of this gets much easier with time.

I relax on vacations and then get back to normal when I get home.

Alcohol- they'll have to pry it from my cold, dead hands! I also like scotch. I'm a bit rigid about it- only after 8 PM and I measure it, then add a little water. I'm not concerned about alcoholism but even the scientists who say a little alcohol is good for you agree that more is not. I don't want to "drift"- starting earlier, drinking more. My alternative is wine and I tend to be more relaxed about drinking it on vacations. Not a fan of the sweet cocktails although I'll enjoy a margarita at a Mexican restaurant on occasion.

Moderation in all things.

 

[DrRoy]

I have always been a highly disciplined person so my diet and weight are the same in RE. I used to only drink on weekends, so I do a little more now. I did hear that it is more healthy for your liver to have a rest after alcohol so I keep it to no more than every other day.

 

[Winemaker]

DW and I share a bottle of wine everyday, and maybe a little more. We eat healthy, veggies out of garden, locally grown beef and pork, DW goes 125# at 5'8", I've been 235# at 6'5" for many years. Blood work is good, we just hiked over 50 miles in Glacier NP over 10 days, I'll be retired 4 years in October. Never, ever drank to get drunk, we enjoy how wine compliments food and vice versa. We are foodies!

 

[Chuckanut]

My weight is down about 15% since retiring thanks to better eating habits. That may not seem like a lot to some, but I was just moderatly overweight. However, I was also adding an inch or two to my waistline every 3-5 years. Not so good. That has stopped and I now comfortably fit into pants that were to tight a few years back.

I wish I kept better records of my weight and pant size, but here is what happened as best as I can recall starting about 6 years ago.

1. Gave up eating sweets and foods with lots of added sugar. Lost 10 pounds with no other effort.

2. Switched to a low-carb diet. Lost another 15 pounds. But, I found I could not keep it up easily.

3. Switched to a lower-carb diet (about 100-125g carbs a day, still a lot less than when I was working) gained 5 pounds then leveled off. Now I am 20 pounds less than when I was working.

4. Read the book "Always Hungy" and tried what some call a slow-carb diet using recipes from the book and others that are compliant. Far easier to stay on than low-carb and I lost another 10 pounds!

As of today I am down about 30 pounds - it fluctuates, of course. My waist is the smallest it's been since I turned 50. I like the recipes in the slow-carb way of eating though I do enjoy some home made pizza or spaghetti once or twice a week. When I do eat very carby meals I make sure it is food I really enjoy.

Oh, I watch my fats only to the degree that I try to eat leaner meats and use more olive oil and less animal fats.

 

[Chuckanut]

I really believe that we are all different so I can't tell anybody what will work for them. Here's my story. Take what you wish and leave the rest.

My weight is down about 15% since retiring thanks to better eating habits. That may not seem like a lot to some, but I was just moderately overweight. However, I was also adding an inch or two to my waistline every 3-5 years. Not so good. That has stopped and I now comfortably fit into pants that were to tight a few years back.

I wish I kept better records of my weight and pant size, but here is what happened as best as I can recall starting about 6 years ago.

1. Gave up eating sweets and foods with lots of added sugar. Lost 10 pounds with no other effort.

2. Switched to a low-carb diet. Lost another 15 pounds. But, I found I could not maintain that way of eating without a lot of effort.

3. Switched to a lower-carb diet (about 100-125g carbs a day, still a lot less than when I was working) gained 5 pounds then leveled off. I was then 20 pounds less than when I was working.

4. Read the book "Always Hungy" and tried what some call a slow-carb diet using recipes from the book and others that are compliant. Far easier to stay on than low-carb and I lost another 10 pounds.

As of today I am down about 30 pounds - it fluctuates, of course. My waist is the smallest it's been since I turned 50. I like the recipes in the slow-carb way of eating though I do enjoy some home made pizza or spaghetti once or twice a week. When I do eat very carby meals I make sure it is food I really enjoy.

Oh, I watch my fats only to the degree that I try to eat leaner meats (chicken thighs versus beef for example) and use more olive oil and less animal fats.

Note: IMHO, if one wants to eat right in today's world one must be ready to cook his/her own meals, or be able to afford a personal chef. Prepared foods, even so called healthy ones, just aren't good for us.

Note2: I consume modest amounts of adult beverages, 1-2 a day. Wine beer, sometimes mixed drinks. Sometimes no alcohol at all.

 

[Rianne]

Last November, had SBO which means small intestine (bowel) twists and everything stops. Pain, unbelievable. Was hospitalized for 4 days.

From that day, I eat small meals, chew a lot but eat lots of fiberous foods. I lost 15 lbs. but am so much healthier. Drink lots of water to keep things flowing. I used to stuff myself and eat super fast. I found when I eat and wait 10-15 minutes, I'm satisfied. Before, when I was hungry I would chow quickly then feel stuffed. That SBO changed the whole process. I guess it was a blessing in disguise.

 

[nhcycling]

I imagine I’ll eat healthier and exercise more; 12-14 hour busy days at MC are very stressful. I grab what I can while I can; at 7pm with only having coffee that day, vending machines are what’s for dinner all too frequently.

 

[MRG]

Last November, had SBO which means small intestine (bowel) twists and everything stops. Pain, unbelievable. Was hospitalized for 4 days.

From that day, I eat small meals, chew a lot but eat lots of fiberous foods. I lost 15 lbs. but am so much healthier. Drink lots of water to keep things flowing. I used to stuff myself and eat super fast. I found when I eat and wait 10-15 minutes, I'm satisfied. Before, when I was hungry I would chow quickly then feel stuffed. That SBO changed the whole process. I guess it was a blessing in disguise.

Sometimes we change for the better because of pain or fear of pain!

What drove me to change was fear, simple fear. I had developed tachycardia, resting heart rate over 100 bpm. My PCP said it wasn't too a big deal, it scared the crap outa me! We'd had a long relationship, he knew I was scared, and he used the opportunity to suggest losing weight might help. It wasn't the first time he'd said that, it was the first time I was willing.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Last November, had SBO which means small intestine (bowel) twists and everything stops. Pain, unbelievable. Was hospitalized for 4 days.

From that day, I eat small meals, chew a lot but eat lots of fiberous foods. I lost 15 lbs. but am so much healthier. Drink lots of water to keep things flowing. I used to stuff myself and eat super fast. I found when I eat and wait 10-15 minutes, I'm satisfied. Before, when I was hungry I would chow quickly then feel stuffed. That SBO changed the whole process. I guess it was a blessing in disguise.

Wow, glad you're OK! I started trying to lose weight in earnest after my mother died suddenly. I really hadn't noticed how the pounds had crept on, but I was carrying at least 80 lbs extra, and I wanted to make as sure as I could that I would live to see my grandkids and maybe great grandkids.

 

[LOL!]

I lost about 25 pounds after retirement through change of diet and exercise. I always exercised and before retirement you would not have called me overweight at 170 lbs and almost 6 feet tall, but I now eat less meat, drink less soft drinks, and eat more at breakfast. I haven't changed alcohol consumption at all.

 

[RAE]

After I retired, my diet improved quite a bit, as I now have time to cook more meals from scratch, and more time to spend in my vegetable garden also. The amount of exercise I get definitely improved after retirement, also (and again, having more time for exercise was a major factor). I do a lot less sitting now, and moving around the house or yard doing something most of the time, it seems. And I walk the dog twice daily, rain or shine, which I didn't always do while working. As for drinking, we love wine and craft beer (we make both), but I'm pretty good about drinking in moderation. I'll have a glass or two of wine with meals every day, and maybe 12-16 ounces of good craft beer in the evening, usually. I can't remember the last time I drank too much (and felt poorly the next day).....it's been a long time.


I'm pretty motivated to try to stay as healthy as possible, for as long as possible. I have too many friends/acquaintances around my age or even younger who are not doing very well health-wise due (at least partly) to poor lifestyle choices. I'm trying to avoid going down that path.

 

[Scuba]

Our doctor told us most people eat too much and drink too much after they retire. That hasn’t been our experience. The first six months after ER, I exercised a lot more and ate about the same so lost weight. Then we went to the Virgin Islands for 3 months. We both put on weight there - lots of rum drinks, burgers, fries, and not too much fresh produce. We came home, lost the weight, and then regained it over a few months (holidays, hurricane relief volunteer trip back to VI). Lost it after the holidays, but has been tough to maintain.

Our alcohol consumption has actually gone down. We do sometimes drink wine during the week, but usually only coffee and water unless we are getting together with friends. We realized it’s harder to recover from a night of overconsumption, so we have both cut back to make sure we feel good the next day and also to reduce calories.

We also really like food. We prepare more meals at home, which is a good thing, but we also eat more lunches out. And we travel more. I find weight control very difficult when traveling. Every day is a celebration, even when we’re on the road for months. When we’re home, a typical day will be a protein shake for lunch, salad with protein for lunch, and fish or other lean protein with veggies for dinner. No alcohol unless we’re out with friends usually. In contrast, when we’re on the road, we often eat 3 meals a day at restaurants and almost always have wine with dinner. Even though we may exercise a bit more too, it’s not enough to compensate for the increased caloric intake.

For us and especially for me, it takes constant effort and vigilance to even maintain my weight, let alone lose weight. It gets harder every year!

 

[NW-Bound]

Nothing changed much for us. Still eating the same amount, but have reduced consumption of some carb to lower our blood glucose. Seems to work, as fasting blood glucose is down in the 80s and 90s.

Just had a complete blood test a couple of months ago, and the results never looked so good. Not a single item was outside of the normal range. Not one. In the past, I usually had a bit high triglycerides or cholesterol, but not this time.

Have not been really active the last few days since we got home from a long Alaska trek. It's so darn hot outside to do something. I need to head up to my high-country 2nd home soon if I want to stay active.

 

[doneat54]

Great topic. I FIRE'ed 19 months ago, DW is still working until 2021. We LOVE to dine (in or out) and enjoy fine adult beverages as well. For me, what has changed is that I am preparing much more of my own food at home, getting creative and striving to find the really good stuff that isn't really all that hard to make. Also, for things that have a short shelf life, making only 2-3 days worth at a time. I HATE wasting, throwing away food. DW has generally always eaten a bit healthier than I, and goes on and off all kinds of diets, but really is only marginally overweight, and exercises a ton. I don't eat junk often, but cannot imagine life without a Wendy's #2 combo maybe every month or two.

Since retiring, I have taken up walking at least 6 days a week, weather permitting, 1-3 miles, shooting for a 12-14 mi weekly average. Our two dogs LOVE this, and STARE at my every move after lunch every day. We walk/hike in conservation and land trust lands, lots of woods, fields and some ponds to stop and swim in. We go in New England winters no matter how cold, as long as the snow isn't too deep. I have lost 24 lbs since FIRE.

While I always liked cooking, it seemed like it was always low priority, never enough time. But now I LOVE it and DW and I have a really fun weekly tradition. She goes on Friday nights to two back to back aerobics/zumba classes. Usually adds an errand or two on the front end, so I get usually 3 hours, and I prepare a dinner we call "Friday Night Test Kitchen". The idea is that I can't make anything that I have made before. A few days prior, I surf the online grocery store circulars to see what is on sale, and scour the fridge to see what needs to get used up. Then I surf recipes online, usually taking one and twisting it a bit. She comes home around 7:40 and I usually escort her to the seat at the dining table and off we go. I have evolved it to usually start with a "Cocktail Special", again, a drink recipe that I have not made before but might use a favorite spirit of ours. Usually that day earlier, I scour the clearance and sale aisles at the liquor store for a Chardonnay that we have not tried, always looking for a great value-find (any wine lovers use the Vivino app?), but again, can't be anything that we have had before is the rule. Chardonnays because I am a huge fan of grilled seafood and chilled Chardonnay.

It's tons of fun for both of us. She giggles about "FNTK" all week, her friends ask her about it. I do everything that night, including clean up. I have made some killer dishes, and some so-so (is there a recipe thread here somewhere).


So to the OP's question, I think we have morphed our dining a bit, but not much. We still have a stout dining out budget and do a lot of that as well.


With respect to alcohol intake, about 10 years ago we decided to not drink M-W as a self discipline measure, and we have stuck to it since (vacations and holiday exempt). Interestingly, it has skewed the cooking/diet also, as I refuse to cook grilled seafood on M-W since white wine will be absent.

Lastly, I'll say this, and I am sure other's already FIRE'ed will agree: don't get all bent trying to figure out what it will be/not be. Sure, make some loose plans, have some ideas, but retirement is about finding your "zone" and it takes a little while. We are all different, but you won't know what it is like, and what you will want it to be, until you get there......!