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Thoughts on getting old vs aging
Replies
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Getting old: hmm-mm. Maybe I could use a brow lift, some lipo, and a bit of Botox here and there.
Aging: Screw that. Rather spend the money on Christmas in Paris...or a skiing in the Alps...I've always wanted to see Scotland...New Zealand...perhaps a safari???10 -
cbstewart88 wrote: »Getting old: hmm-mm. Maybe I could use a brow lift, some lipo, and a bit of Botox here and there.
Aging: Screw that. Rather spend the money on Christmas in Paris...or a skiing in the Alps...I've always wanted to see Scotland...New Zealand...perhaps a safari???
Love that attitude, CB! Go for it!
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geraldaltman wrote: »Here is my take. I will hit "Medicare" age next year. For years, I have felt much older than I actually have been and that has been in large part due to very diminished mobility due to deteriorating joints most notably my hips along with taking less than optimum care of myself. I didn't help myself at all by also living in denial and resistance to seeking specialized care for what ailed me. All that ended when I finally reached my "enough's enough" point late last year and underwent two hip replacements to start this year. Once I got thru rehab and PT, I decided I wasn't stopping. I enrolled in a "next steps" program to continue and enhance my exercise. Before starting, I was "pre-assessed" to determine the current state of my body (this was mid August). One of the things disovered was that my "body age" was 71. That didn't sit well with me. I began that program with a focus such as I haven't had in long time. I didn't miss a single session for the entire eight weeks of program and took advantage of free access to fitness center which I continue to do until I get "post assessed" on the 16th. I will be very disappointed if I don't knock that body age down closer to my actual age. In the meantime, I haven't been feeling as old as I once did. Maybe there's something to "age is just a number"! Oh, and I AM joining the fitness center once I get assessed. 😊
I am hard pressed to think of the person who disagreed with this as anything but a nitwit.10 -
I am 68 years old and really moved to my current residence because I saw other people in this area, some more elderly than me, living actively and exercising regularly. Everyday, I see 80 and 90 year olds bicycling past me, while I also see 16 year olds who could never keep up with those 80 and 90 year olds because their exercise consists of changing the earbuds on their smartphone or turning on their Ninetendo Switch and few healthy meals can be found at the fast food drive through. Aging will happen to everyone, but the point that a person becomes old is a combination of both genetics and their own mindset.
I believe there is a Rascal Flats song that expresses my mantra..."I want to be running till my time runs out". Life is too short to be "age shamed" like some people have described here. Laugh, play, run, tomorrow is promised to no one...young or old.
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Getting old, aging; doing both. What I have learned today is that what I have been doing fitness wise lately has knocked my "body age" two years closer to ny actual age. Stealing a youthful phrase, "I'm totally down with that"!!2
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keytracker51 wrote: »... I believe there is a Rascal Flats song that expresses my mantra..."I want to be running till my time runs out". ...
Love that expression - now off to YouTube to find this song! Thanks for sharing that, @keytracker51.
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jrh_this_better_work wrote: »I'll be 50 in January but have never been healthier. My mom has advanced Alzheimer's as did her mother, and I'm fighting with every bone and muscle in my body to stave that off (if that's even possible).
Hey, I recently found these studies about tea, which may be of interest.
"regular consumption of tea lowers the risk of cognitive decline in the elderly by 50 per cent, while APOE e4 gene carriers who are genetically at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease may experience a reduction in cognitive impairment risk by as much as 86 per cent."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170316093412.htm
And this one. A smaller study, but still intriguing:
"regular tea drinkers have better organised brain regions -- and this is associated with healthy cognitive function -- compared to non-tea drinkers"
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190912100945.htm
My main motivation in keeping fit is having a healthy brain and mind. I've seen a lot of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and general nuttiness up close and want to avoid all that, please!
I don't have links handy, but there are also promising studies about fish oil and weightlifting helping the brain.
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gatamadriz wrote: »My grandfather referred to people his age as, ‘those old folks”. He remarried at the age of 98. I just turned 60, and I am beginning to notice some of my friends act much older, not many, but some. I feel kind of sorry for them. Age, in my family has always been looked upon as mental outlook, if you stop growing and learning things, yes, you will age rapidly in your mind.
and when someone says to me, “act your age” I turn right around and say, “I am, this is how, I, Catherine acts at age 60”. So go out there and toss around water balloons with the kids! Dress up for Halloween, go parasailing etc.! Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death (my mother’s favorite saying).
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The destination of all living matter is death - it's how we get there, it's the journey which counts!5
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I just turned 48 last month. My biggest gripe is the grey hairs that keep popping up. Otherwise, it's been business as usual.
I credit that, though, to no smoking, no drugs, very moderate drinking, so-so eating (lol) and mentally impressing myself with the value of thinking young since I was a late teen.2 -
I'll be 40 in the spring, and the number just doesn't compute - I don't see myself as "40", and I find it strange when I meet with people I grew up with who now have teens and college-age kids, or even realizing that my parents' generation is in their 70's now. I'm too busy with my life to stop and wonder if I'm "acting my age"!
But I do see stark examples of how a person's lifestyle and mindset can have a huge impact. My grandfather just turned 90 but he acts like a man 20 years younger. His mind is still clear, though he does tend to repeat himself a lot, and he does all the inside chores such as cleaning the house, mows his own lawn, keeps up with repairs in his rental properties and continues to work hard, physical jobs. Yes, he's slowed down from what he used to do, but he still does as much as he can, even if he just has to pace himself to get it all done. My dad's sisters, however, treat him like he should be in a nursing home, and it really frustrates me and my mom especially to see them treat him like that. I want to look at them and tell them to leave him alone - the reason why he's able to live at home, take care of my grandmother, and still be so very independent is because he IS doing all that at his age. If he sits down like they want him to do, that'll be the end of him for sure.
My mom's mom is hte same way - she just turned 80 and she is still working at odd jobs, just helped my aunt remodel and paint her house, and generally doing whatever she wants.
On the flipside, my dad has considered himself old for years, and it shows. He has had a lot of physical problems in the last 10 years which doesn't help, but he had an old mindset long before that. If you looked at my grandfather, you'd think he was somewhere around 80 maybe. If you look at my dad, you'd think he had to be in his mid 70's, when he's not even close to that.
My sister is the same way. She has physically let herself go, and acts like she's 35 going on 55. She's always complaining about her aches and pains and bad knees and how she can't do this and can't do that anymore.
All I know is that if I live to be in my 80's and 90's, I want to be like my grandfather and grandmother!4 -
approaching 55 in less than a month, I am just glad I finally kicked it in gear this year and am getting healthy and losing a ton of weight. My quality of life is a 180 change from last year. I didn't see myself living that much longer without a change!5
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GoJohnGo71 wrote: »I just turned 48 last month. My biggest gripe is the grey hairs that keep popping up. Otherwise, it's been business as usual.
I credit that, though, to no smoking, no drugs, very moderate drinking, so-so eating (lol) and mentally impressing myself with the value of thinking young since I was a late teen.
Any hair on top of your head is a good thing, grey or not. I'm perfectly happy to be going grey as long as there are some hairs up there. I'm not as happy about the grey hairs showing up in my nose... they stand out more than brown ones in my nose.1 -
nighthawk584 wrote: »approaching 55 in less than a month, I am just glad I finally kicked it in gear this year and am getting healthy and losing a ton of weight. My quality of life is a 180 change from last year. I didn't see myself living that much longer without a change!
That is fantastic! I agree....I was asleep at the wheel and while I knew a fair amount about healthy eating and exercise, I was so focused on my kids etc that it wasn't until they left that I put myself first and decided that I still have almost half my life left to enjoy hopefully pain and disease free (at least what is in my control) so I joined MFP and will focus on long term lifestyle changes.0 -
Peers and friends my age have and continue to pass on way before their time, the most recent having ripped out another piece of my heart and making me feel older than I am happened just days ago and less than a week before her sixty-fifth birthday (tommorrow). Eight days before her sudden passing, she texted me saying what a good friend I've been and that she loved me. I didn't call or text back right away. Now, I get to say I love her back and goodbye on the 23rd while she lies before me...in a casket. It really *kitten* sucks!!
Quit worrying about aging or growing older! Both will happen regardless of how healthy we are, we become or how much we don't. Our time can expire at any time regardless of our age and fitness levels. Continue to take care of yourselves. If just starting, stay with it. But regardless, eat the cake, have the drink, take the trip! Live! If someone loves you and tells you so, for goodness sake return the sentiment...immediately!! If you have issues with people or broken relationships, try mightily to fix them even though they may seem beyond repair. Don't wait for that very final chance to do it in front of a casket! As has been proved yet again that life is just too darn short!!!!7 -
One of my Indoor Rowing buddies posted this up on Facebook. Thought it was great. Reminded me of this thread.
https://www.fox5ny.com/news/100-year-old-rower-says-she-has-no-plans-to-stop1 -
I'm turning 30 next month (I know, not "old") but it seems like a foreign concept to me that I am no longer a "young professional" in my career and my accomplishments are now expected of a person in their 30s rather than revered for someone "my age" like they were.
I'm also afraid of how getting older will affect my ability to lose weight, and even moreso to keep it off. I ballooned to a 36 BMI in my mid 20s, so I can imagine how easy it will be for me to get back up to that point in my 30s and so on. Especially if I ever start having kids. I'm hoping the habits I'm building now will stick with me as I get older. My mother is the highest weight she has ever been, and she is only 54. She has been divorced for over 10 years and convinced she has no chance at finding another partner, so she doesn't mind not exercising and just eating out/ordering in all her food instead of cooking. She's depressed for being so obese, but not motivated enough to do something about it. I see a lot of my personality in her and where she is at right now is not where I hope to see myself in 20 years.3 -
I'm turning 30 next month (I know, not "old") but it seems like a foreign concept to me that I am no longer a "young professional" in my career and my accomplishments are now expected of a person in their 30s rather than revered for someone "my age" like they were.
I'm also afraid of how getting older will affect my ability to lose weight, and even moreso to keep it off. I ballooned to a 36 BMI in my mid 20s, so I can imagine how easy it will be for me to get back up to that point in my 30s and so on. Especially if I ever start having kids. I'm hoping the habits I'm building now will stick with me as I get older. My mother is the highest weight she has ever been, and she is only 54. She has been divorced for over 10 years and convinced she has no chance at finding another partner, so she doesn't mind not exercising and just eating out/ordering in all her food instead of cooking. She's depressed for being so obese, but not motivated enough to do something about it. I see a lot of my personality in her and where she is at right now is not where I hope to see myself in 20 years.
Imagine how weird it feels to be my age, in some ways (64). At this stage - as this thread, and in some ways even your post - shows, many people have really low expectations about what a person can accomplish. Fortunately, they're mostly wrong.
That (bolded) is more myth than reality. Most of it is about the average person doing less in daily life (lower NEAT, less exercise), and losing muscle mass from less exercise/doing less. You have almost complete control of those things, along with control of eating.
Yes, sometimes bumps in the road along the way can make it more difficult to exercise that control, but it's still your choices and actions that matter. Your mom's personality is her personality: You have only a little influence, at most, on what she does. Your personality is yours, to play out as you choose, within and through whatever challenges and setbacks might unavoidably present themselves. Focus on what you can control.12 -
... I'm also afraid of how getting older will affect my ability to lose weight, and even more so to keep it off. I ballooned to a 36 BMI in my mid 20s, so I can imagine how easy it will be for me to get back up to that point in my 30s and so on. Especially if I ever start having kids. I'm hoping the habits I'm building now will stick with me as I get older. My mother is the highest weight she has ever been, and she is only 54. She has been divorced for over 10 years and convinced she has no chance at finding another partner, so she doesn't mind not exercising and just eating out/ordering in all her food instead of cooking. She's depressed for being so obese, but not motivated enough to do something about it. I see a lot of my personality in her and where she is at right now is not where I hope to see myself in 20 years.
I think you are on the right track by concentrating on building the good habits that contribute to maintaining your weight loss and overall health. I have been overweight most of my life - lost weight - regained it - yada yada yada.
Using the tools here has shown me a way to lose weight and keep it off.
Stay the course. You can do this. You don't have to be like your mother or anyone else. Be the best you you can be!
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I'm 60 and my husband is 74. Every time I do anything he deems not "age appropriate" he says (sarcastically), "Don't hurt yourself, Honey". In his opinion, this includes just about everything - jogging, dancing, riding a bicycle, paddleboarding, hiking, etc. I may not hurt myself, but you can bet I'm gonna hurt him real soon. LOL12
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