Thoughts on getting old vs aging

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!

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.

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.

ellie117 wrote: »

... 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!

BTW Papa_Wolf1959, to quote Billy Crystal, "You look mahvelous!"

This woman is getting old, not aging, 82 years old, double bodyweight deadlift, beat the crap out of intruder:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWprd33kTFU

lkpducky wrote: »

Cant_think_of_a_username wrote: »

My favourite author is Terry Pratchett - and my favourite quote from him is "Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened."

The older I get, the more I understand what he meant.

Terry Pratchett - such a great loss when he passed on.

Yes - I grew up on Pratchett and through the whole of my teen years through to adulthood I looked forward to a new book each year. I know it's a bit peculiar/nerdy but I decided I would never read The Shepherd's Crown... that way I will always have one more Pratchett left to read.

Sorry to go off topic.

I have dealt with some health issues over the past 5 years. Two spine surgeries with challenging recovery each time. I continue to exercise, continue to walk, continue to spend time with friends and family, and keep my mind active. Dietary changes have made the biggest impact. Eating a plant based diet with some fish (sardines and salmon are wonderful sources of protein and DHA) and eggs a few days per week (usually one egg and 3 whites) has eliminated my need to take Rx medications. Not the life I would have chosen, but the life I have. I want to make the most of it. You only get to live once. Don't quit! Keep doing everything you can to make your life good.

sijomial wrote: »

Just started reading the book Fast After 50 (Joe Friel).
As I wasn't fast before 50 it's going to be a challenge.

Very interesting book so far.
I only got into cycling seriously at age 53 (in 2013) so I've seen nothing but upward fitness progress until this year when injury intervened. My advice, which seems to align with the author's view, is don't train like an old person - keep pushing hard with intensity, be ambitious and not resigned to decline, fight it.

Great comments, agree 100%.

I am 51, at 50 I decided to change jobs again. Everybody told me it would be so hard and nigh on impossible because of my age. I got the first job I really wanted. I was qualified and I had all the experience and more they wanted. The upped the position a scale to make sure I would accept.
I keep up with all kind of technological changes because I like it. In my previous job my hip and happening 26year old co-worker told me that I am more connected and up with everything than she is. She is in good shape and told me that me being so active gives her hope for her future.

The other day I was on a business trip in Asia and a number of older (70-80) people were working out in the part doing stretches My 60-year old co worker said at home nobody that age can do that at that age. I told him in no uncertain terms that it was my goal to be that fit and that I had seen people that age at my yoga and gym classes.

Based on my age I fall into the senior bracket, but I flat out refuse to be senior going on geriatric as some my age seem to do. I have a number of friends on MFP older than me and fit. My in-lwas have neighbours that ran 15km after a quadruple bypass and well into their 70's These are people that inspire me every day, I want to grow old that way.

sijomial wrote: »

Just started reading the book Fast After 50 (Joe Friel).
As I wasn't fast before 50 it's going to be a challenge.

Very interesting book so far.
I only got into cycling seriously at age 53 (in 2013) so I've seen nothing but upward fitness progress until this year when injury intervened. My advice, which seems to align with the author's view, is don't train like an old person - keep pushing hard with intensity, be ambitious and not resigned to decline, fight it.

I'm also a fan of Friel's work, and in particular, his book Fast After 50. I love how he starts by outlining all the factors that work against us as we age, then offers a series of steps we can take to offset many of those factors. I also love how he provides examples of training regimens that athletes have used to help maintain performance as they age, such as moving from a 7 day to a 9 day training week in order to provide more recovery days between high intensity sessions. And agree that his point about "train hard to race hard" is central to maintaining high performance in endurance sports.

As such, I have no plans to slow down at 62 years old. I took a year off to rehab an injury last year, but this year its back to racing with the same goal: becoming faster.

dewd2 wrote: »

I'm not sure how much longer I can resist with offers like this one

It doesn't have wheels, so it's not a diss.

Personally, I joined AARP in a hot minute at about age 35 when my insurance agent told me my (non-AARP) homeowners' insurance would be a couple of hundred dollars cheaper per annum if I belonged. $15 (at the time, IIRC) annual dues vs. that couple of hundred . . . I guess that's the price of my pride, huh?