As you get older do you care more or less about your health and weight?

[Triage]

I'm 39 and my health and weight has been a Rollercoaster ride especially last 8/9 years. I get into eating healthy and losing weight then I fall off the wagon. I love to eat and mostly I'd rather game, go watch a movie or just relax then workout. 

I did good first half of the year losing weight and eating healthy but didn't come close to my goal. I'm kind of disappointed but I don't care as much at the same time. I feel fine but when I see a picture of me I hate how i look. 

Anyone else struggling or has accepted how they are and are just happy. If not how do you manage? 

[Joestradamus]

I am currently out of shape and paying for a gym membership and not even using it. I'm at a point now that I want to be healthy, work out, look good but I just can't seem to find the motivation at all, or I don't have time because I'd rather be watching a korean drama or finding something else to study. SO then I just accept myself for who/what/how I am, but I see an old pic of me as well or see other people in great shape then I hate myself.

 

I'm struggling too and really should do something about it because I have not been in the best health overall either these last few months. I actually had a major anxiety attack last night. I'm sure working out would help. Maybe a support group would help us lol

[Jason]

11 minutes ago, Joestradamus said:

I am currently out of shape and paying for a gym membership and not even using it. I'm at a point now that I want to be healthy, work out, look good but I just can't seem to find the motivation at all, or I don't have time because I'd rather be watching a korean drama or finding something else to study. SO then I just accept myself for who/what/how I am, but I see an old pic of me as well or see other people in great shape then I hate myself.

 

I'm struggling too and really should do something about it because I have not been in the best health overall either these last few months. I actually had a major anxiety attack last night. I'm sure working out would help. Maybe a support group would help us lol

 

Start by changing how you eat, and cutting back on alcohol if that's relevant. It's less of a time sink than going to the gym is so it's easier to get going with than the gym is. And how you're eating is a lot more important than the gym if you're just trying to lose weight.

 

As for the gym, I find it a lot easier to be consistent about it if I pack a gym bag in the morning and then go directly from work. If I go home first it's far less likely to happen.

[Triage]

29 minutes ago, Jason said:

 

Start by changing how you eat, and cutting back on alcohol if that's relevant. It's less of a time sink than going to the gym is so it's easier to get going with than the gym is. And how you're eating is a lot more important than the gym if you're just trying to lose weight.

 

As for the gym, I find it a lot easier to be consistent about it if I pack a gym bag in the morning and then go directly from work. If I go home first it's far less likely to happen.

I think that's one thing I need to change is to do it on a smaller scale long term.. When I get going I workout it's 5-6 times a week and skip all bad food. I need to find balance and accept results will be slower 

[Keyser_Soze]

I sorta care but not really.

[Joe]

I have just grown tired of being very overweight. It's not even about trying to look good. 

[Triage]

6 minutes ago, Jose said:

I have just grown tired of being very overweight. It's not even about trying to look good. 

Being overweight does suck. Less energy and feeling uncomfortable 

[Jason]

41 minutes ago, Triage said:

I think that's one thing I need to change is to do it on a smaller scale long term.. When I get going I workout it's 5-6 times a week and skip all bad food. I need to find balance and accept results will be slower 

 

Yeah, if you tend to rollercoaster through the lifestyle changes then there's something to be said for breaking it up into smaller goals rather than trying to go all-in on changing everything at once.

[gamer.tv]

I'm in better condition now than I was 10 years ago (19) and the aim is to hit my 30's in the best shape I've been in. The one thing I do need to do is take care of the 3 or so minor injuries I have, so I don't have any massive issues later on.

[Triage]

3 hours ago, gamer.tv said:

I'm in better condition now than I was 10 years ago (19) and the aim is to hit my 30's in the best shape I've been in. The one thing I do need to do is take care of the 3 or so minor injuries I have, so I don't have any massive issues later on.

That was the age when I was in my best shape and health too and I wish I was again but it's a lot harder to accomplish now then it was 10 years ago 

[Biggie]

I don’t understand the question. 

[gamer.tv]

22 minutes ago, Triage said:

That was the age when I was in my best shape and health too and I wish I was again but it's a lot harder to accomplish now then it was 10 years ago 

 

I'm hoping that if I can get to the point and carry on eating well (I've found that so long as I make food in advance, or have worthwhile things in to cook) then I eat very well.  I only let myself down when I work a long day and forget and the only option is the vending machine.  

 

I'm also looking forward to (hopefully) have a career change in September 2019, which will give me back my evenings and weekends, so I can carry on exercising, get back to playing rugby and generally living life.

[Remarkableriots]

17 minutes ago, Biggie said:

I don’t understand the question. 

 

[Triage]

@kittykat how do you handle cravings sometimes I get so hungry and I crave things that are far from good. And thank you for sharing this helps so let's switch to this topic  

[Triage]

Yes please link would be helpful! Thank you. @kittykat Do you work out or keep active? 

[Remarkableriots]

The problem for me is when my paycheck doesn't last long enough and i can't afford to eat for a few days i end up overeating when i finally can eat again.

[Biggie]

9 minutes ago, Remarkableriots said:

The problem for me is when my paycheck doesn't last long enough and i can't afford to eat for a few days i end up overeating when i finally can eat again.

Damn brother. You need to ask for a raise. 

[TheLeon]

I got really overweight in high school and the first couple years after. At some point I realized that this would get harder to correct as I got older, so I made some changes with the help of a supportive family. I lost about 100 pounds (320 to 220) in about a year and a half. I cut way down on junk and fast food, cut out soda entirely (which was easily the biggest contributor in my case) and started exercising just a little. It was pretty easy, but I guess still being in my early 20s was a major factor there. 

 

I was was able to maintain that for several years, but it’s starting to come back. My good eating habits have slipped, I’m definitely drinking more alcohol, and I’m not all that active outside of work. I’m trying to correct this and focus on being healthier, but it’s tough. 

 

Being alone/lonely is what is really making it hard for me, I think. I want to lose the weight to feel better, look better, maybe get the confidence to actually go out and meet people. But my self-esteem has been so low for so long, it’s really easy to convince myself to just stay home by myself, where I can just get fat again and nobody will care. And they wouldn’t care if I was healthier, either.

[5timechamp]

21 hours ago, Triage said:

I'm 39 and my health and weight has been a Rollercoaster ride especially last 8/9 years. I get into eating healthy and losing weight then I fall off the wagon. I love to eat and mostly I'd rather game, go watch a movie or just relax then workout. 

I did good first half of the year losing weight and eating healthy but didn't come close to my goal. I'm kind of disappointed but I don't care as much at the same time. I feel fine but when I see a picture of me I hate how i look. 

Anyone else struggling or has accepted how they are and are just happy. If not how do you manage? 

 

You have described me to the T, even the damn age is the same..

Whats really frustrating is with the added age results are harder to come by and the nagging injuries just wont go away anymore...

I will keep fighting for fitness cause I dont have a choice but its become a chore where the slightest bit of neglect can derail weeks of "progress"

[Chairslinger]

9 hours ago, Triage said:

That was the age when I was in my best shape and health too and I wish I was again but it's a lot harder to accomplish now then it was 10 years ago 

 

 

I experienced something similar in my 30's. While I think the cliche of your body going to hell in your 30's is overblown the one thing I did find is that probably even for the best of us it takes some more work to get the same effect as when you're younger.

 

I always had a crazy metabolism where I could eat anything and barely gain any weight. I don't think I went over 145 in my 20's. I would get out of shape in the Winter being cooped up inside and then bounce back with little effort just by going and playing basketball and other things in the Summer.

 

Then in my early to mid 30's I went through a string of bad situations where I couldn't even do that. I was out of shape for 2ish years, then when life improved a bit I thought I could just bounce back....and fucked up my ankle thinking I could get my old vertical all back at once  

 

It hindered my movement for about a year and a half and I managed to put on about 25 pounds on top of what I have found is about my ideal weight(170 give or take 5 pounds).

 

I finally decided that losing the weight could only help so I started exercising, but more importantly started watching my diet which was a total first for me. 

 

I agree with some of what KK said, but disagree with others.

 

I 100% agree that feeling bad because you "cheated" is largely self defeating. It's always important to keep in mind that the gains you want are a marathon, and not a race. The bummer is that you are never doing as much, or getting as much, out of it as you think when you hit the gym hard for a month and then are disappointed you haven't met all your goals. But conversely it also means that a lazy day, or even a lazy week, aren't as bad as you think they are. The worst thing you can do is let it discourage you into giving up, because if you keep at it one bad week in the big picture isn't so much.

 

I disagree, however, with being completely casual with your food intact. This is obviously up to each individual to decide, and I definitely would not want to presume to tell someone with an eating disorder anything, but what works for me is finding that balance....and then constantly eating just a lil less than that. Though I would strongly suggest avoiding absolute killers altogether. For instance, the acquisition of a fryer preceded my aforementioned near 200 pound pinnacle. While I miss French fries every now and then I found eliminating deep fried foods except for rare occasions had a very good cost to benefit ratio for me.az

 

The reason I say this is because @Jason is absolutely right. Our modern culture of promoting working out to lose weight is so misleading as to almost be a scam.

 

Look up any you Tube videos or online chart to see why. 

 

For instance, I find the one really bad habit I just can't break is pop. I eat pretty good, but when I cheat it's mostly in drinking my calories.

 

A can of coke is 160 calories. Burning that alone is a fairly intense 10-15 minute workout(burpee hell) or a 20-30 lower impact workout. Since in exercise, just like dieting, the most important thing is consistency it's best to find things you enjoy so much you want to do them or you know you will have to do.

 

I decided to start walking to work twice a week(in the beginning this also really helped strengthen back up my ankle in a way that higher impact workouts just weren't). About two miles there and two miles backs. At a fast walk I burn about 200 calories per walk.  

 

Comparing those numbers it doesn't stop me from having a pop when I sit down to enjoy my dinner....but it does make me stop and ask if I really need a 2nd or 3rd one for the day.

 

I hope this hasn't been too rambling. As someone who is also nearing the 40 club, I thought I would try to share what has worked for me.

[SuperSpreader]

I take more care of myself now than I ever have, and I'm way stronger going into my 40s than ever before.

 

 

[Chairslinger]

52 minutes ago, 2user1cup said:

I take more care of myself now than I ever have, and I'm way stronger going into my 40s than ever before.

 

 

 

 

[Remarkableriots]

21 hours ago, Biggie said:

Damn brother. You need to ask for a raise. 

I guess they're working on it but the last time i got a raise was a couple years ago and it was only 13 cents. My rent went up $125 a month when i renewed.

[Emblazon]

For me, if it's not around me, I can't eat it. The key is to only have the things in your house that you should be eating. But make sure to keep your house stocked with those items, because if you look and the meal isn't there, especially in my case, it leads to a quick run to a fast food place. 

 

Speaking of keeping things in the house that shouldn't be here... we had a party last night, so I'm going to go eat butter cookies, popcorn, and fruitcake. 

 

 

 

[SuperSpreader]

[Stickey]

Get a job that makes you sweat. I walk an average of 10ish miles a day at work. Did 13 last Thursday. 

[Paperclyp]

You need to care more. 

 

Metabolism slows down. Older you get the more chance to have cancer. Joints wear out. Arteries get narrower. Spinal column gets narrower. Veins wear out. Skin can delevop cancer pretty easily. 

 

Pay attention to your body. Be proactive and try to stop potential problems before they start. Go to the doctor for checkups. Get all your routine screens.

[Keyser_Soze]

7 minutes ago, Paperclyp said:

You need to care more. 

 

Metabolism slows down. Older you get the more chance to have cancer. Joints wear out. Arteries get narrower. Spinal column gets narrower. Veins wear out. Skin can delevop cancer pretty easily.

 

Your flesh will decay, your finger nails and hair will fall out, your eyes will fall out of their sockets

[Triage]

38 minutes ago, Paperclyp said:

You need to care more. 

 

Metabolism slows down. Older you get the more chance to have cancer. Joints wear out. Arteries get narrower. Spinal column gets narrower. Veins wear out. Skin can delevop cancer pretty easily. 

 

Pay attention to your body. Be proactive and try to stop potential problems before they start. Go to the doctor for checkups. Get all your routine screens.

Yeah I'm already getting a biopsy on something that grew on my back and my skin isn't same. I will have to make adjustments especially now that my kids are grown up.

[SmugPrick]

I believe that lifting weights (as a male) keeps you from turning into a literal woman. Keep producing that testosterone or you'll become a crying depressed man child.

[SuperSpreader]

1 hour ago, SmugPrick said:

I believe that lifting weights (as a male) keeps you from turning into a literal woman. Keep producing that testosterone or you'll become a crying depressed man child.

I 100% agree with this!

[Triage]

6 hours ago, SmugPrick said:

I believe that lifting weights (as a male) keeps you from turning into a literal woman. Keep producing that testosterone or you'll become a crying depressed man child.

I'm not a dude but I do believe weights is better than cardio even for me as a woman 

5 hours ago, 2user1cup said:

I 100% agree with this!

So you're saying I was a male once? 

[Nokra]

Yeah, I think I do pay more attention to my health as I'm getting older. I'm still relatively healthy--not overweight and fortunately with a high metabolism (I'm 33 and I weigh the same as I did in high school), but I don't necessarily have the healthiest diet (probably too much sugar)or get as much exercise as I probably should. The older I get the more I hear of family, friends, and acquaintances that have health issues and given the whole "ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" thing, I I want to take a few easy steps now to avoid those for as long as possible. 

 

Since I was a teenager and twenty-something (10-15 years ago), I have:

-stopped drinking soda except for maybe once or twice per year (down from pretty much daily)

-started meditating daily

-reduced my consumption of meat (from lots daily to a moderate amount every two or three days)

-increased the amount of water I drink every day (from almost none to 1-3 liters). 

 

So... certainly not perfect, but it's a start.  Regular exercise would be a great next step but I find that starting a routine is very difficult.