Retirees: are any of you more healthy since you moved to Thailand?

[Goldbear]

Hi, I was curious if any retirees are more healthy since moving to Thailand (not factoring in ageing). The reason I ask is that here at home in the USA I just feel like I have so little time. I think in retirement (soon) I will eat less and have more time for working out and for cycling and walking. I think that I can easily be in better shape and thinner.

Can anyone living in Thailand with plenty of time on their hands (i.e., not working full time) comment on any of that?

Thanks very much.

[JohnnyJazz]

I've been here for a bit more than one year, half retired. I lost about 10 Kg and now jog 10 Km 2 to 3 times a week while when I arrived I couldn't barely run more than a few hundred meters before being out of breath.

You're right having more time on one's hand helps a lot getting in better shape but I'm not sure being in Thailand or in the US makes a lot of difference. One of the most important point to get in better shape is to eat better. Less probably but definitively better. The main problem in my opinion is that Thai food is terribly unhealthy. For me the solution is to cook my own food at home. So definitively to have the time to cook helps a lot.

One other problem at the beginning is to get in a routine when you excercice regularly. Again the solution for me was to hire a personnal trainer. It's quite cheap in Thailand. I hired him for two month, two times a week. Now I'm on my own, I'm used to the gym and the equipement and it's part of my weekly routine to go two times a week to the gym so it's ok.

But there is nothing I couldn't have done in an other country.

[dragonfly94]

I might be if not pissed all the time, hic

[transam]

Yes.......

[Jingthing]

Physically, yes.

Mentally, I would say no.

[JohnnyJazz]

I might be if not pissed all the time, hic

That's an other advantage to be in a good physical shape. Nothing better than to run a few kilometers to get rid of a hangover. You can litterally feel the sweat washing away the toxin from the previous day excesses.

[wayned]

I came here to have one last fling before I died. That was 17 years ago. I was in a very high stress job in the US and was experiencing severe angina. After all of the tests I was told that I needed heart surgery. Having no family in the US, I cancelled the surgery, took early retirement and moved here to stay in late 1997. I have never had an angina attack since moving here and stopped all prescribed meds. I walk my nine dogs twice a day and tinker in the farming industry. I'm now 17 years older and suffering the affects of age and having a metal femur installed in my leg when I did a swan dive from a ladder. I fight being overweight, a losing battle all of my life, but I'm still alive and feel great!

[pigeonjake]

i do,

i dont drink now, when im not on rotation im doing things on my wifes farm, i feel like i did when i was 30, i feel great

[IMA_FARANG]

[transam]

I came here to have one last fling before I died. That was 17 years ago. I was in a very high stress job in the US and was experiencing severe angina. After all of the tests I was told that I needed heart surgery. Having no family in the US, I cancelled the surgery, took early retirement and moved here to stay in late 1997. I have never had an angina attack since moving here and stopped all prescribed meds. I walk my nine dogs twice a day and tinker in the farming industry. I'm now 17 years older and suffering the affects of age and having a metal femur installed in my leg when I did a swan dive from a ladder. I fight being overweight, a losing battle all of my life, but I'm still alive and feel great!

That made my day chum......

[KittenKong]

I'm a lot less healthy since I got here.

I eat far too much because eating out is easy and cheap (much cheaper than shopping oneself, which is very expensive, and then cooking at home), and I dont do enough exercise because it's too humid/hot to go out except at certain times of day and even when I do go out it doesn't encourage me to do any activity.

Also I moved from a very large old farmhouse with very large garden that needed things doing to it constantly to a condo that I can clean from top to bottom in about 15 minutes and which doesn't get dirty anyway, and which never requires maintenance apart from changing the occasional light-bulb (occasional being once every 10 years with these modern types of bulb).

Not sure what the solution to this is.

[onemorechang]

I might be if not pissed all the time, hic

me same.

Hard to slow it down the last few months

[Forethat]

Though I didn't retire, I am inclined to say that I transformed my health from reasonable to exceptional during my first 5 years in Thailand. For me it was the convenience of the gym that came with my first condo and the exercise triggered a healthier diet which then made me drink less. I spent an average of 15 hrs in the gym each week plus 7 hours swimming. One of the advantages was that I made friends with people who preferred a healthy lifestyle, as opposed to spending time with people in bars (if that floats your boat - fine, but not for me), and that triggered a positive spiralling effect.

After moving back to UK I've transformed my health in the opposite direction to a point where I'm becoming concerned. For me it was MUCH easier to uphold a healthy lifestyle in Thailand.

[WhamBam]

The heat and sunshine is great for aches and pains related to arthritis. Much better than the damp, cold air on the UK coast. One of the good benefits of Thai living.

[transam]

The heat and sunshine is great for aches and pains related to arthritis. Much better than the damp, cold air on the UK coast. One of the good benefits of Thai living.

Yep, I was able to dump the drugs.......

[weegee]

The heat and sunshine is great for aches and pains related to arthritis. Much better than the damp, cold air on the UK coast. One of the good benefits of Thai living.

Yep, I was able to dump the drugs.......

Did you go cold turkey?... or sing your way healthy?

[transam]

The heat and sunshine is great for aches and pains related to arthritis. Much better than the damp, cold air on the UK coast. One of the good benefits of Thai living.

Yep, I was able to dump the drugs.......

Did you go cold turkey?... or sing your way healthy?

Hmmmmmmmmmm, very soon you will hear my singing......The boys have agreed to tie you to a chair................ ...........You fink I am joking....... ...............

[DeaconJohn]

I'm a lot less healthy since I got here.

I eat far too much because eating out is easy and cheap (much cheaper than shopping oneself, which is very expensive, and then cooking at home), and I dont do enough exercise because it's too humid/hot to go out except at certain times of day and even when I do go out it doesn't encourage me to do any activity.

Also I moved from a very large old farmhouse with very large garden that needed things doing to it constantly to a condo that I can clean from top to bottom in about 15 minutes and which doesn't get dirty anyway, and which never requires maintenance apart from changing the occasional light-bulb (occasional being once every 10 years with these modern types of bulb).

Not sure what the solution to this is.

The solution seems obvious... move back to the farm.

[Gecko123]

It does boil down to personal choices, and the question of whether retirement is going to suddenly propel you into a healthier lifestyle depends a lot on your motivation, and your ability to sustain that motivation.

Just as you can choose to buy organic food at a health food store or run down to the local Jack In the Box, here in Thailand the same healthy/unhealthy options are available. Same with physically fit lifestyle vs sedentary lifestyle. There's not much about Thailand which is going to automatically point you in either direction. It all boils down to personal choice no matter where you live. I would tend to concur that eating out all the time is not as healthy as cooking your meals at home, unless you are willing to spend top dollar eating at gourmet restaurants in major cities.

If being physically fit is your highest priority, I would scout out places to live which are conducive to this lifestyle, a place where you can do a wide variety of exercise (swim, walk, jog, bicycle, gym, etc.) Phuket and Chiang Mai come to mind, but I am sure that there are many other places which lend itself to that lifestyle.

As for myself, I went through a 'gung-ho' fitness phase for the first several years when I first moved here, and took off about 50 pounds in the process. But I have since put the weight back on. As for diet, I would say I eat healthier here because I vegetable garden and have fruit orchards and this encourages me to eat healthy, although I have tried to eat healthy all my life. I don't know where the OP got the idea that he will eat less in retirement. If you're home a lot, it's pretty easy to snack (not to mention drink alcohol and smoke) constantly, and put on the pounds in the process.

As far as mental health, I would divide that into two categories: social adjustment and mental stimulation. Regarding social adjustment, I would say my mental health has improved considerably since moving here. I would say I am more outgoing and have developed more of a friendly disposition since moving here. A huge part of this however is due to Thai language skills. If you do not have language skills the experience can be very different.

As far as mental stimulation is concerned, outside of Bangkok and maybe Chiang Mai, there aren't many English language lending libraries, and English language bookstores are few and far between out in the countryside. There also aren't that many community colleges per say, but if you have a specific interest, you should be able to find someone to teach you. I would say finding sources of mental stimulation can sometimes be a challenge in Thailand. You can buy books on Amazon, subscribe to magazines and newspapers and use the internet heavily, but other hobbies which might be attractive because they stimulate a person mentally can be hard to cultivate because the resources and interest groups might be hard to find. I think I've done a reasonable done a good job keeping mentally active mainly through language study, vegetable gardening, parenting, teaching, etc.

The number one piece of advice I have for anyone moving here is have a gameplan for what you are going to DO here. Not having such a gameplan in place is the biggest risk to your physical, mental, spiritual, financial health.

Best of luck with your new life here.

[JohnnyJazz]

I'm a lot less healthy since I got here.

I eat far too much because eating out is easy and cheap (much cheaper than shopping oneself, which is very expensive, and then cooking at home), and I dont do enough exercise because it's too humid/hot to go out except at certain times of day and even when I do go out it doesn't encourage me to do any activity.

Also I moved from a very large old farmhouse with very large garden that needed things doing to it constantly to a condo that I can clean from top to bottom in about 15 minutes and which doesn't get dirty anyway, and which never requires maintenance apart from changing the occasional light-bulb (occasional being once every 10 years with these modern types of bulb).

Not sure what the solution to this is.

"shopping oneself, which is very expensive" How did you come to this conclusion ? I went to do some shopping this afternoon at TOPS,not exactly the cheapest place in town. A salad 35 Bahts, chicken breast (3 pcs) 80 Bahts, bananas 30 Bahts ..... You can easely cook a healthy and decent meal for less than 50 Bahts. And if you want a bit more western food like potatoes, avocadoes, salmon, steak ... it is still cheaper than in a restaurant. How can you say it is very expensive ?

Edited February 8, 2015 by JohnnyJazz

[nithisa78]

Thailand

[weegee]

i was healthy until I met my mate Transam.....Now everyday i worry about becoming a Leo drinker.....so i test myself at 5pm daily...he is winning..

[Searat7]

Less healthy because I live in Bangkok...here I have asthma and get sinus headaches from dirty air although wearing carbon mask helps allot....I know I could choose to live elsewhere in Thailand but I prefer being near airport.

Moving back to USA soon after 10 years here...no regrets,...will still return for 3 months a year in the future. On trips back to USA the two things I noticed right away are clean air and all the fat people

[umbanda]

When I move to Thailand in 2010, my goal by medical advice, was to lose at least 20 kilos..and after the first 3 years I achieved it. After getting married, I found out that my Thai wife likes to shows me love cooking and feeding me more than I need...and I got back all the weight in the last 2 years. When I tell her that now I do not look so good like when we met, her response is that she do not like for me to be in better shape because I may look for another woman....a gik. Only in Thailand!

She is 48, slender and beautiful, and I am 70... and now fat. I want and need to lose weight, but my wife's jealousy keep my self stem in its high....Not good for dieting.

I never was so healthy like in Thailand, and I live every day like it is the last day of my life. I know that some day, that will be true..

[KittenKong]

"shopping oneself, which is very expensive" How did you come to this conclusion ? I went to do some shopping this afternoon at TOPS,not exactly the cheapest place in town. A salad 35 Bahts, chicken breast (3 pcs) 80 Bahts, bananas 30 Bahts ..... You can easely cook a healthy and decent meal for less than 50 Bahts. And if you want a bit more western food like potatoes, avocadoes, salmon, steak ... it is still cheaper than in a restaurant. How can you say it is very expensive ?

Because compared to supermarket shopping back in Europe I find that it just is very expensive here. Even things that are grown/produced here often cost more, unless you buy a giant pack in Makro in which case the prices are much more sensible.

And of course any imported item is simply between 2 and 4 times more expensive here. I can afford it so it's no big deal but it doesn't encourage me to cook at home.

[KittenKong]

I'm a lot less healthy since I got here.

I eat far too much because eating out is easy and cheap (much cheaper than shopping oneself, which is very expensive, and then cooking at home), and I dont do enough exercise because it's too humid/hot to go out except at certain times of day and even when I do go out it doesn't encourage me to do any activity.

Also I moved from a very large old farmhouse with very large garden that needed things doing to it constantly to a condo that I can clean from top to bottom in about 15 minutes and which doesn't get dirty anyway, and which never requires maintenance apart from changing the occasional light-bulb (occasional being once every 10 years with these modern types of bulb).

Not sure what the solution to this is.

The solution seems obvious... move back to the farm.

Doesn't sound like much of a solution to me. I'll hold out for a better one.

[transam]

When I move to Thailand in 2010, my goal by medical advice, was to lose at least 20 kilos..and after the first 3 years I achieved it. After getting married, I found out that my Thai wife likes to shows me love cooking and feeding me more than I need...and I got back all the weight in the last 2 years. When I tell her that now I do not look so good like when we met, her response is that she do not like for me to be in better shape because I may look for another woman....a gik. Only in Thailand!

She is 48, slender and beautiful, and I am 70... and now fat. I want and need to lose weight, but my wife's jealousy keep my self stem in its high....Not good for dieting.

I never was so healthy like in Thailand, and I live every day like it is the last day of my life. I know that some day, that will be true..

Mrs.Trans talks much the same.........I tell her I am me and want to be me and you should trust me......

Didn't make any difference but I do do my own thing.............

[JohnnyJazz]

"shopping oneself, which is very expensive" How did you come to this conclusion ? I went to do some shopping this afternoon at TOPS,not exactly the cheapest place in town. A salad 35 Bahts, chicken breast (3 pcs) 80 Bahts, bananas 30 Bahts ..... You can easely cook a healthy and decent meal for less than 50 Bahts. And if you want a bit more western food like potatoes, avocadoes, salmon, steak ... it is still cheaper than in a restaurant. How can you say it is very expensive ?

Because compared to supermarket shopping back in Europe I find that it just is very expensive here. Even things that are grown/produced here often cost more, unless you buy a giant pack in Makro in which case the prices are much more sensible.

And of course any imported item is simply between 2 and 4 times more expensive here. I can afford it so it's no big deal but it doesn't encourage me to cook at home.

For me the primary reason for cooking is not to save money but to have a more healthy lifestyle. Processed food is the real ennemy, full of fat, sugar, salt and other additives that are bad for our health. As someone said in this thread when you retire in Thailand brodedom can be a problem. With cooking one kills two bird with one stone, it keep us busy for part of the day in an enjoyable way and it's good for our health too. And I'm not so sure that beside maybe beef basic food is more expensive in Thailand

[JohnnyJazz]

Examples of quick, easy and cheap meals :

- Marinate over night a piece of chicken with olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs. Cook in a pan for around 10 mn, serve with a green salad and home made vinaigrette.

- Steam a piece of fish. Seasoned with salt, pepper and lime juice. Cook a potato in the microwave, takes less than 10 mn. Open in two, add a bit of salt and butter. Quick, cheap and healthy.

- Whole grain pasta with a sauce made of onion, garlic, fresh or canned tomatoes and local seafood

- For take away home made wrap with cold chicken (above recipe), half avocado, salad, cottage chees + seasonning

+ fresh fruits

Healthy, easy to prepare and cost less than 50 bahts a meal

Edited February 8, 2015 by JohnnyJazz

[Goldbear]

Thanks to all of you who replied. There were some good ideas. I very much agree that it would be important to be in the right type of living situation. I haven't quite figured out where that will be yet but it will probably be someplace that isn't a big city and also isn't way out in the country. It will probably be something in between. I am working on ideas for that.

Obviously I have the idea that by having more time, it will help me make the right health choices. We will see if that turns out to be true or not.

@Gecko123 I tend to eat less when I am in Thailand; it has nothing to do with retirement, per se.

@Wayned Thanks for your inspirational story.

Thanks to all of you.