Why is turning 50 so much harder than 30 or 40 was?

Adui13

Never had a birthday get to me this badly, but I turn 50 on Dec the 6th and somehow I feel like I missed the boat...

I know, not exactly on the diet / nutrition / exercise topic but here it is.

middlehaitch

I found turning 30 the hardest. Maybe because I was a mature student when mature students were uncommon, and I had moved away from the 20 something of those around me. Even though I was 29 compared to others 20/21 I was still in the same decade.
I felt old.

Turning 50 was fun, I was a lot more free. No children at home, more settled in life, could afford a case of champagne to celebrate. Age range was no longer anything I noticed. Friends were anything from 25-75.
Turning 50 makes me think of shedding responsibility and having more time for me.
(I co-founded a car club for my favourite car)

60 and 65 were the best. I had lost the 30 lbs I had gained in my late 40's early 50's and had/have a good general fitness level. This means I can still look forward. Both birthdays included travel, and experiencing activities I had never done.

Think more - you haven't missed the boat, you are just starting to walk up the gangway.

Honestly I have had more adventures since turning 50 than I had in the 5 decades before.

Look forward not back.

Honestly I could go on about the positive aspects of turning 50 for pages, but I will leave it at this.

Plan something wonderful for your self- even if you have to save and do it in a year or so. (My 55th was my first cruise)

Cheers, h.

I missed out turning 40. That was the year I bought my first house and renovated it. New skill sets acquired.

Adui13

Thank you for that. Kids are still at home (though they are adults), but otherwise it all fits, even the part about being a mature student ?I went back to college in 08 and went to 2013 to get my Masters degree)

I'll try to take the advice to heart.

amy19355

I think 50 is tough. It's the Half-Century mark, and the moment to wonder if there's another 50 years ahead.

manderson27

50 can be a painful.

But you will only be 24 hours older than you were at the same time the day before so what exactly will have changed?

Make it a day to remember then go on to do all those things that you always said you would do one day. Because trust me 60 is not far off

lorrpb

There are s lot of cool people on the far side of 50!

Jackie9003

My son was christened on my 30th so my birthday was a bit of a non-event, on my 40th I was divorced with 2 kids so did 3 gigs in 3 days with friends and spent most of it drunk. I'm 50 next week, have lost 4st, am newly married and both kids are in their late teens so I'm off on the holiday of a lifetime to Mexico with my new(ish) husband!
Life is what you make it, embrace it and look forward. Make sure you have the best day possible, enjoy it and make it all about you.

manderson27

Jackie9003 wrote: »

My son was christened on my 30th so my birthday was a bit of a non-event, on my 40th I was divorced with 2 kids so did 3 gigs in 3 days with friends and spent most of it drunk. I'm 50 next week, have lost 4st, am newly married and both kids are in their late teens so I'm off on the holiday of a lifetime to Mexico with my new(ish) husband!
Life is what you make it, embrace it and look forward. Make sure you have the best day possible, enjoy it and make it all about you.

Yeah travelling that is the thing to be doing after 50 when your kids can wipe their own behinds. Get away from everything and just see more of the world.

Jackie9003

manderson27 wrote: »

Jackie9003 wrote: »

My son was christened on my 30th so my birthday was a bit of a non-event, on my 40th I was divorced with 2 kids so did 3 gigs in 3 days with friends and spent most of it drunk. I'm 50 next week, have lost 4st, am newly married and both kids are in their late teens so I'm off on the holiday of a lifetime to Mexico with my new(ish) husband!
Life is what you make it, embrace it and look forward. Make sure you have the best day possible, enjoy it and make it all about you.

Yeah travelling that is the thing to be doing after 50 when your kids can wipe their own behinds. Get away from everything and just see more of the world.

I'm going to try my best!

Machka9

36 was my most difficult birthday (so far) because not long before it, I had read that the average lifespan of Canadian women was 72. Thus 36 was halfway!!

About a year later, I read that the average lifespan of Canadian women was actually 82. I didn't need to worry about my 36th birthday after all!

For my 50th birthday, I made a list of the things I wanted to do. I hiked to the Lake Louise Tea House which I hadn't done in decades. I did a 200 km bicycle ride on Vancouver Island. All sorts of things.

TavistockToad

Adui13 wrote: »

Never had a birthday get to me this badly, but I turn 50 on Dec the 6th and somehow I feel like I missed the boat...

I know, not exactly on the diet / nutrition / exercise topic but here it is.

what do you think you've missed? why cant you still do it?

Lesley2603

I found 50 really hard, but I think that was because my mum died when she was 50. I turned 60 earlier this year, I am fitter, more confident, and thoroughly enjoying my life now

zyxst

47 is the toughest for me so far. Got slammed with peri menopause (which increased the severity of my depressions) plus bonus health issues that are individually treated because my GP doesn't believe I have peri menopause.

TBH, I'm kinda happy to be older. I'm much closer to getting a senior discount in shops (5 years to be able to order off Denny's 55+ menu) and being off this rock in a permanent fashion.

Adui13

zyxst wrote: »

~Snip~
TBH, I'm kinda happy to be older. I'm much closer to getting a senior discount in shops (5 years to be able to order off Denny's 55+ menu) and being off this rock in a permanent fashion.

You sound like my wife LOL! She was so happy to hit 55 for that very reason! (Then a lot of places bumped it to 65 because we live in the retirement capitol of the world..)

Adui13

I want to thank each and every one of you for your encouraging words. Thanks in part to you, and also to my Senior Chief on my last command before I left the Navy in 1992, I have a new outlook. 50 no longer scares me as much as it did. I am determined to get back into shape, as close to the shape I was in in my late 20's / early 30's as is possible with everything I've done to my body over the years.

I hope to reach my weight goal of 150 by this coming summer. If there is a way to post it look for a video clip of me (and hopefully my 21 year old son) hiking South Mountain Park. I owe Senior Chief a video of me doing something epic. Who knows; maybe someday in the next decade Ill find a way to afford Para-motor flying.

Babs5420

I work in assisted living. I was at a seminar recently that stated current predictors are that baby boomers will live to 120 due to medical and health advances.

You’ve got a lot of life left and so many adventures ahead! Celebrate 50!! Happy birthday!!

Dilvish

Look at it this way...you made it to 50. Some people don't and future generations are more likely to miss it too. Global warming, out of control population, dwindling resources, including drinkable water...are all major concerns right now and if they don't get put in check within the next 25 years (according to scientists) people won't even know what it's like to reach the age of 50. Unlike the poster above who clearly went to a seminar that was run by optimists rather than realists. Medical technology advancements can't improve crops or water reserves, reduce global warming or prevent over population!!!

Yes this seems bleak but we have to face the facts.

Revel in your time, be proud of even the littlest accomplishments and do something completely crazy once in a while. You are alive. Live well regardless of if there are fewer days ahead than behind.

mountainmare

Just wait until you are facing 70---50 was great as was 60 and 65. Now approaching 70 I'm starting to think maybe I'm getting old.

Johnk942

50 is a definite shift. As I get grayer, I find people calling me "sir" more at my job. I am 56 now, but took 50 pretty hard.

Tommy7570

50 is great - you stop caring what people think and are free to say what you really think! Freedom 50.