How do you feel in your 40's?

fastfoodietofitcutie

I have quite a bit of weight to lose and one of the things that keeps me motivated is how good and energetic I will feel when I lose the weight. I keep thinking I can get back to how I felt in my 20's. Am I completely delusional? Can a person in their 40's get back to the condition of a 20/30 year old?

kommodevaran

I'm 47 and I feel like I'm 8! Except from the tinnitus and stiff neck, of course

spzjlb

I lost 30 lbs using MPF as a tool when I was 51 and am now 53 (maintaining). I’m in much better shape than I was when I was in my 20s-30s. I can fit into my high school prom dress from when I was 17. I’ve never felt better about my fitness and physical shape.

That said, my skin is not as nice as when I was younger, and that’s normal. And im much creakier, despite being fit. But I’m older and wiser, and know that my health and well-being is most important. But the big thing is that I FINALLY don’t feel like crap in my clothes or looking in the mirror. My students are inspired by my dedication to being healthy and that’s a wonderful and unexpected side-effect.

I wish I’d started counting calories decades ago. If I can do this, anyone can.

lois1231

There are a couple of women who live in my building. Both are in there 60s and both are very fit. Of course you won't have the skin like you did. You heard of people who are in there 70s who run marathons and stuff. We had a couple of ladies when I went to Europe a few years ago who had tons of energy and stamina and could walk miles. Some are in way better shape than me and I am 55. I had a water aerobics teacher who was in her 80s. I kid you not and she was extremely active. People had a hard time keeping up with her.

cwolfman13

I'm 43...I'm in pretty good shape fitness wise...at least as good if not better conditioned than when I was in my late 20s. I'll likely never be in as good of condition as I was in my early 20s because at that time I had been a competitive athlete most of my life and I was in the Marines.

I have zero desire to weigh what I did in my 20s...especially early 20s when I was a bean. I weigh about 15 Lbs more than I did in my late 20s/30 and I'm just as lean...just more muscle mass.

Djproulx

I became sedentary as an adult and gained 50 extra lbs while in my 30's and 40's. Didn't get around to losing it until age 54. I am now 60 years old and have been an active participant in endurance sports.

Yes, you will have a huge increase in energy. Yes, you will be able to participate in any activities you choose/ And YES, you'll keep up with the young kids without any trouble. My eyesight and memory aren't as good as they were when I was 20 (or 40, lol), but I'll happily deal with those realities. The rest is all good.

The weight loss wasn't easy, but it was TOTALLY worth it. Good luck!

callsitlikeiseeit

im 40 and feel better than i did when i was 20.

seltzermint555

I say yes. Although I was obese in my 20s and 30s so I don't have some super active/athletic young self to compare to. But I felt energetic even at my heaviest weight (age 29-30), the only problems I had were migraines and shin splints/foot pain which stopped once I lost my first 40 lb. Honestly I have always felt pretty great and very rarely had any pain. Now at 41 and a healthy weight (lost total of 140 lb mostly between age 30-36 and have maintained since then), I feel fantastic with tons of energy, no medical problems, and I feel that I've definitely been in my best physical shape since I was 35 and started "serious" hiking. I've run a 5k and I was that kid who didn't even run the mile in gym class when I was 12. Anyone can change!

I am fully aware that my health will decline with age like everyone else & that is just part of life. But I have to say when I compare myself to a lot of peers I feel happy for some of the decisions I have made and not just weight related stuff. By not smoking, drinking minimally, etc, I feel I've done myself a favor and it's paying off as I enter my forties.

StevefromMichigan

fastfoodietofitcutie wrote: »

I have quite a bit of weight to lose and one of the things that keeps me motivated is how good and energetic I will feel when I lose the weight. I keep thinking I can get back to how I felt in my 20's. Am I completely delusional? Can a person in their 40's get back to the condition of a 20/30 year old?

I've lost 40 lbs so far...probably have another 20 lbs to go. I have been working out doing strength and cardio the whole time, and I feel a lot better than I did 4 months ago

loveisapineapple

I'm 42, and the only thing I notice when training is that I take a bit longer to warm up, and that I need to be more aware of injuries because I don't want to be out of action as it takes longer now to recover. I have a very similar body shape to in my 20's - carrying a bit much fat but as I start to lose I can see that the shape and muscle tone seem to look essentially the same. I am not as able to run the same pace I did then, but my endurance has improved, as has my strength.
Plus, on a really shallow note, in your 40's it's much more uncommon to be fit so you stand out when you are.

fr33sia12

The only thing I like about being in my 40s is the wisdom and experience. Realising what's important in life. Back in my 20s I thought that's all that mattered being thin and what people thought of me, now the most important thing to me is being healthy and happy. I no longer care what other people think of me (apart from people I'm close to) I'm happy in my body, trouble is my body lets me down, I have a lot more health problems now than I did in my 20s.

rainbow198

My 40's has been very good to me. I feel incredible with lots of energy and stamina!

I spent most of my life overweight/obese. I lost 80 pounds in my mid 30's and have maintained since then. Now I'm the smallest and fittest I've ever been in my entire life.

When I look around at people around my age, I definitely stand out in terms of being at a healthy weight and in great health. So many people seem to have given up. I feel it doesn't have to be that way.

You may not get to a condition of a 20 or 30 year old, but you can certainly work towards being in the best condition you can be for yourself. With hard work just about anything is possible.

lynn_glenmont

I don't know about a specific age, and I question the clarity of anyone's memory of what they felt like physically decades earlier to be able to make an absolutely accurate comparisons based on "feelings," but I don't see anything delusional about thinking that you ought to be able to be in comparable physical condition in your 40s as in your 20s or 30s, especially if you're mainly talking about energy levels. I mean, you weren't a world-class athlete in your 20s in some sport that people generally peak at by their early 20s, and now you're hoping to return to the sport and compete at the top level in your 40s, are you? I'm not sure I'd go so far as to call even that delusional, so long as you recognized the long odds against you.

That said, I lost about 15% of my bodyweight in my early 50s, going from a BMI in the "severely obese" (class II obese) to a BMI at the low end of class I obese, and it made a huge difference in how I felt.

I could tie my shoes again without losing my breath because of all the rolls of fat I was compressing. I could squat down to the ground to pick something up and stand back up without needing something to hold onto. I felt comfortable again doing yoga positions that had felt too difficult for years.

I did find things like walking up esacalators easier, too, but I think that came more from being more active and regularly walking up, rather than a direct result of weight loss.

I certainly felt like I had a lot more energy. If I'm honest, no, not as much energy as in my 20s, but a lot more than in my mid to late 40s when I was putting on that additional weight. I feel maybe like I have as much energy in short bouts as I did in my 20s, but that I could keep it up longer, end up less tired, and get by with less sleep in my 20s than I can now.

And if you find that for you, it only dials the energy clock back five or 10 years, not 20, isn't that still worth working toward?

sexymamadraeger

I am sooooo glad to be in my 40's. My 20's were fun but I was naive. My 30's were full of sleep deprivation and trying to survive raising a special needs kid. My 40's feel so much more settled and calm. I lost 133 pounds over the last couple of years. The only thing I had to work for initially was my mental image of myself at 20. When I was 118 lbs and firm and perky. When I started getting smaller and closer to my goal I was not happy for a while. My face seemed more wrinkly and I had tons of loose skin for a while. I just looked old to myself. But... weight loss is a process. Over the months the loose skin gets much much better. As it turns out the wrinkles were loose skin also. I still have some but not as much. My figure is very, very different than in my 20s. Butt and legs are smaller and middle is pudgy from babies and loose skin. But I can slide into a pair of skinny Levi's and not have it too tight in the rear. What a nice feeling! So all in all... there are disappointments when you realize you're not going to look the same. There are consequences to gaining so much weight in the first place (loose skin). But it all works out in the end. I have lots of energy, but I need my sleep much more at 42 than even in my 30s. I think that's just typical. Oh! This was a shocker to me. I couldn't figure out why I am a size 6 now but I weight a lot more than when I was 20 and a size 6. I asked this question on the Maintenance board. Turns out sized have drastically changed over even the last 20 years. So I probably would be a size 10 back in the day. Which is still pretty good and I'm thrilled to buy pants that say size 6 today even if it's different.

nexangelus

I am probably fitter and stronger (can run further and lift more weight) than I was in my 20s (I suffered with EDs half of my life), mentally tougher too. So you might not feel the same as when you were younger, for a number of reasons, some of which might be really positive. The aches and pains are more frequent, but other than that I feel younger than my 43 years...

drisley77

I don't feel too much different than when I was in my 30's really. A bit more "calm" as I did suffer from anxiety my whole life. I was able to get from being a chubby 205 lbs down to a 9% bf 175 lbs this year though. I'm in better shape now than I ever was in my 20's and 30's and I wasn't in bad shape then.

cbstewart88

I am 63. Feel like 23.

Azdak

My 40s were so long ago, I can’t remember.

sgt1372

I'm 67 and, after 18 months of weight loss, strength training and conditioning, I am in better shape now than I was in my 40's.

I remember my 40's well because that's when I was in the police academy and started working as an LEO.

I was the oldest cadet in my class at 46 but was ranked in the top 10 in physical agilityin a class of 40+ cadets composed mainly of 20-30 yr olds.

Nonetheless, I weigh less, have less BF and am stronger now than I was then and I think I could compete as well (if not better) now than then.

I have some unsightly (to me) loose skin due to weight loss and/or old age but otherwise look far younger than my years, which I attribute genetics and/or my weight loss program.

So, if I could compete w/a bunch of 20-30 yr olds in my 40's (and can achieve a level of fitness in my 60's comparable to when I was in my 40's), I don't see why someone in their 40's can't achieve a level of fitness comparable to s/he was in his/her 20-30's.

RoxieDawn

49 and feel like I am 30. But when I was 30ish I was overweight and felt like crap so I imagine this what 30ish would feel like.

I will add even though menopause is approaching () I can imagine I would be having a much worse go of it if I had not lost weight and started exercising.

betty_veronica4

I'm scratching 45 and, honestly? While I have some weight to lose, I feel better than I ever have? I may have been "thinner" in my 20s, but I am so much more focused on health and strength than ever that I feel like I LOOK better. Even more important? I have the wisdom to know that looks matter less than confidence. When I hit 40 I tried to get more focused on fitness but I was not ready. At about 42 I got serious and I realized that while it is hard to reach goals, it is not as hard as I made it out to be. At nearly 45, I can say I truly respect my body and it has a lot of GOOD life in her yet!

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Bellavita31

I will be 48 in April.. I have lost 40 pounds over the past 8 months and I feel amazing!!!

DebLaBounty

I’m 58 and lost 30 pounds. I feel 20 years younger . Definitely more energy!

estherdragonbat

Just turned 46 and feeling great! I'm more fit than I've ever been. I just hit the weight I was in my teens (14 lbs overweight and how I wish I could've stayed there instead of eventually gaining 100 more lbs...) I feel like I'm in my 20s, except I wasn't this fit in my 20s...

newheavensearth

I remember being between a 1X a size 12 after losing weight in my 20s and thought that was the best I could do. Then I got comfy and gained it back. I was obese, prediabetic, stressed out and pissed off about all of it in my 30s and eating for comfort. I dropped to a size 4 with WW and MFP in my early forties. I'll be 42 in 2 weeks and plan on getting even better. I have gray hair, wrinkles, and loose skin, but my new muscle makes those non- issues.

fastfoodietofitcutie

Yay, I will remain hopeful!

lorrpb

I lost weight in my early 60s and am now in the physical shape of my life!

swebb1103

I started working out at 44. At 45, I am more fit than at any time of my life - and I love the other perks of being this age, such as more freedom to do what I want and the ability to say no to other people without feeling guilty.

sylvahiker

I’m 46 and exercise and fun regularly. I agree with poster above - I feel more fit now than ever before !! We can rock after 40

Machka9

I was in my best shape from my late 20s until my late 30s. Then my fitness level started tapering off and hit a low when I was 42 and ended up in hospital with DVT. It took me a long time to get back from that, but I was in pretty good shape again at 44. Things kind of tapered off again, but when I reached 49, I was back at the weight I had been in my mid-30s and was doing most of the long-distance cycling I had been doing during my 30s.