Aging...time for a look in the mirror...

[Bigvivec]

I am 37 years old…not “old” but not as young as I used to be either…there was a period in my late teens where meals consisted of taco bell, big macs, and 7-11 burritos and super big gulps eaten in the parking lot…I played a lot of sports, and was serious about my soccer…not as serious as I was as a junior, but still playing on two teams and training on a regular basis…I never worried about conditioning, stretching, or taking care of my body at all…everything was taken for granted, but everything worked great…I’ve pretty much kept the same mindset throughout my adult years to the point that I find myself now…I’ve been dragging all week, and on reflection, have been less than perfect for awhile now…small parts are breaking down…my golfer’s elbow, pain in the hip, stiff ankle that never fully recovered from the multiple break and torn ligaments and acl from four years ago…the list goes on…last week on one of the early holes I squatted to read the putt and I heard about 15 things crack and was so tight I had trouble keeping my balance…not a good sign, but I made the putt so let’s talk about what really matters…


So I took a look at myself in the bathroom mirror this morning after my round…yep…I’m definitely getting older…I could do to lose a few pounds, I smoke too much, sometimes it hurts to touch my toes, and I hobble to the bathroom first thing in the morning like a person beyond my years…matter of fact, I just hobbled through the all the kitchens on my morning tour prior to sitting down; my hips are killing me (but my swing is better!!!) I have a pretty physical job, am on my feet for a good portion of it, and have been at it for a number of years now…it is all starting to take its toll, and looking in the mirror, I started to make a plan on actually doing something to slow down the depreciation process…I figure that I need to lose some weight, quit smoking (two don’t really go hand in hand), stretch more than I do, get more sleep, and actually start doing some physical conditioning…I suppose that it will improve my golf as well, but what I would like is to stop grimacing when I bend over to pick up my daughter, and to generally feel better, which has been a tough proposition lately…what I’m looking for is to recover some zip in my step rather than the energy saver mode that I seem to be stuck in lately…easy fix is to sleep 8 hours instead of borrowing from half of that to play golf, but this goes beyond just sleep habits…I really want to make a change, and though I appear to be in good condition, I could definetly be better, and with one month to go before baby #2 arrives, my life is only going to get more complicated…I need all the energy and fitness that I can get…I know Lefty, Halk and JWaldrop made some lifestyle changes that worked out…anyone else out there made or is contemplating making some changes?

[jwaldrop]

Originally Posted by Bigvivec

...I squatted to read the putt and I heard about 15 things crack and was so tight I had trouble keeping my balance…not a good sign, but I made the putt so let’s talk about what really matters…


So I took a look at myself in the bathroom mirror this morning after my round…yep…I’m definitely getting older…I could do to lose a few pounds, ...

Welcome to the club!! I bought a magic mirror that takes off 15 years. Well, actually, I shaved off the solid white beard and mustache, and retired from a stressful job. Those both help with appearance!

I haven't been able to squat to read a put for a few years now! There's hope, Big. You'll just adjust and do everything smarter and more efficiently. I'm shooting better scores on the golf course now than I ever did in my 30's and 40's. Of course, I practice more.

[C-Tech]

I have made some significant changes in my eating habits brought on by a diet too high in sugar and fats that put me into Type II diabetes. I now eat a lot more fresh veggies and fruit. I try to refrain from some of the more artery clogging foods than I did as a youth. I grew up in the deep south, which the CDC refers to as the "Stroke Belt", so those changes are really significant for me. I also quit smoking when my first stent went in. I gained about 30 lbs that have proven very hard to shake even with the lower fat diet.

What I have noticed more than anything else is the extended recovery time after physical activity. I mean two days in a row of playing golf and my body hurts like it did after a weekend of soccer 10 years ago and it takes a couple of days to recover instead of overnight like it used to. Yesterday, I played the second day in a row and today I am feeling a little muscle tiredness. When I started playing 8 years ago, I would go to the course at 6:30, pay to play all day and go home at 6 or 7 in the evening after walking the course continuously.

[jwaldrop]

Originally Posted by C-Tech

...What I have noticed more than anything else is the extended recovery time after physical activity. I mean two days in a row of playing golf and my body hurts like it did after a weekend of soccer 10 years ago and it takes a couple of days to recover instead of overnight like it used to...

Boy, ain't it the truth!

[halk]

It takes a lot to discipline ones self to loose the extra pounds that you put on over the years. Sometimes the motivation comes from the Doctor telling you that if you do not do something then nature will take care of it for you (in other words take a dirt nap). That's what happen to me almost a year ago allowed my diabetes to get completely out of control had started to lose circulation in my legs and feet. Other problems were cropping up, thought at one time I was having a hart attack etc. I to smoke for years and then about 15 years ago went to the doctor and they did a chest x-ray and thought they found a spot on my lungs (was a four pack a day smoker) stopped cold turkey that day. Second opinion later found no problems with the lungs you would have thought that scare would have caused me to take a look at my over all health did not except for the smoking.

For me the turning point was turning 60 years old and knowing that my Dad passed away at 61 and the fact that I just did not have enough energy to get out of bed in the mornings and hobble to the bathroom every morning. I have now lost 52 pounds, went from a 40 inch waist to a 36 inch waist, and got my diabetes under control and if I keep it under control until November of this year then I can stay off shots or insulin pump.

I was always one of those that said I did not have time for exercise well I found time, I now walk four miles a day seven days a week, do light weight workouts four nights a week. So really it comes down to just what you want to set your mind too and do it.

BTW my golf game has improved which is an added benefit.

[drstroud]

I'm 37, too and hear you on the symptoms of getting old. Went to endoscopy clinic for a congenial visit and realized I'm not as young as I used to be. Everything came out fine in the end, so to speak.

[JungleJ]

BigV - you could start by carrying your ridiculously heavy bag instead of letting the caddy do it!

A few things I do (I am 36):

Daily multi-vitamin
A daily joint-care supplement (glucosamine and chondroitin) - great for the knees
Running and cycling
It might sound vain, but skincare (moisturiser, eye cream) helps keep you looking younger. All the heat in the kitchen can't be good for your skin.

Getting decent sleep is important too, especially if you want to have any energy for the kids.

I never smoked but I could probably do with a cut in the alcohol intake.

[PA PLAYA]

This year has been my personal awakening... or maybe it's a mid-life crisis coming early, or maybe both. But I started this year not feeling very good about my health, my appearance, my attitude.

Hollywood makes it look sooooo easy. Same old feel-good story.... middle-aged guy not happy with life decides to make radical changes. He starts working out, loses 20 pounds, dyes his hair, then gets a motorcycle or convertible. He dreams about a more exciting career, and then a woman half his age catches his eye and he dreams about other things. So he has an affair, has two months of incredible sex... But only to realize that despite all these things, he's still not happy. He somehow makes ammends with his wife, avoids a nasty divorce... and then gets a promotion at work. And in the end, he realizes that he already had a good life but just didn't know it. All he needed was a new perspective, maybe.

What they don't show in those movies, however, is the reality.

And the reality is that it's not quite that simple. In 90 minutes, we watch some ficticious character go from being desperate to being fulfilled with everything life has to offer... We somehow try to relate to those characters, akin to that Sunday morning church sermon that sounds like the pastor is preaching directly to you. We then go to bed that evening with this new-found sense of purpose, only to find it completely gone 8 hours later when the alarm clock is screaming at us to get up and get ready for work.

I looked in the mirror back in January, and I couldn't recognize who was looking back at me. I felt tired, and my attitude showed it. And I knew that I had to make the change for me.... not for my wife, not for my kids, but for me. Otherwise, I'd never see it happen.

Not gonna say that I'm 100 pounds lighter, or that my hair is darker, or that I have fewer wrinkles.... but I will tell you that my attitude has changed, and I've never felt better in years.

Who knows, maybe I'll start to recognize that guy looking back at me in that mirror!

[Diane]

Pa Playa - I shouldn't speak for BigV, but I don't think his attitude is his problem. As we all know, he has the healthiest ego of anyone here and the whole "woe is me" act is just that - an act. I always think of BigV as a guy who loves his life and now he's finally realized he needs to get rid of a few vices so he can be around to enjoy that wonderful life.

BigV - If you think I'm totally off base - I'm sorry, but I won't believe you in any case. I know I'm right.

[xnavyct]

I'm 42...lots of things changing.

Getting some gray in my hair, both on my head and facial. Can really see it in sunlight.

I can't drink beer like I used to. Thats a good thing. But as I've gotten older, its about taste, not quantity - instead of drinking 15 Bud Lights, I'll have 2 Guinness.

Used to be I left home to go out at 10 PM. Now at 10 PM I'm thinking about going to bed. And also, I used to be able to get by on very little sleep. Now, if I've gotten paged at oh-dark-thirty and can't get back to sleep right away, I'm worthless the next day. I need my 7 and a half hours of sleep.

I also need to lose some weight. Went to the doctor last week over a sore knee (both knees were scoped in the late 90s) wondering why it was taking so long to heal up. He told me not only am I not staying off of it, I'm too fat, lets do a cholesterol test. We had a pretty serious talk about being obese and in your 40s... First time in my life I've ever had a doctor talk to me about heart disease....

[essurfer]

I remember the days of taco bell and 7 11 devil dogs at 3AM. Gave them all up a long time ago. I started a new work out program called p 90 x If your serious about working out ITs very tough and I am seeing good results in jsut three weeks.

[PA PLAYA]

Originally Posted by Diane

Pa Playa - I shouldn't speak for BigV, but I don't think his attitude is his problem. As we all know, he has the healthiest ego of anyone here and the whole "woe is me" act is just that - an act. I always think of BigV as a guy who loves his life and now he's finally realized he needs to get rid of a few vices so he can be around to enjoy that wonderful life.

BigV - If you think I'm totally off base - I'm sorry, but I won't believe you in any case. I know I'm right.

Wasn't talking about BigV's attitude. I was talking about mine.

[straightshooter]

I am 41 and I am starting to feel my age a bit. I wonder what guys who don't play golf (and don't do much of anything else physically) feel like. I think they are probably in much worse shape than we are, as a group. My office is one floor up, and I am amazed how many 30 year olds find it necessary to wait for the elevator.

[Wazmankg]

The 1st thing you need to do is get rid of the full length mirror. Your self-image will improve dramatically overnight. I'm not kidding. You only need one big enough for shaving. Face it. You're 37. You're not going to get better looking... sorry. Get more sleep. Don't play every day. I know that's probably heresy, but the body needs to recover, yes even from a round of golf ... mix that with a sleep deficit and it's no wonder that you blow up (for you) a couple of times a week. Your body is exhausted. Quit smoking. Eat and drink what you want in moderation. The 5 miles you walk a few times per week coupled with the physical activity you get on the job is probably sufficient. If you want to tighten things up, there's crunches, push-ups & curls, but if you get into that sort of thing you'll need a stretching regimen too, if you don't already have one.

[Shelby]

Originally Posted by Bigvivec

…I know Lefty, Halk and JWaldrop made some lifestyle changes that worked out…anyone else out there made or is contemplating making some changes?

Hi Big- At 39 I faced the same things you are, and made some changes. I stopped smoking and that made a Huge difference in how I feel. ( I can give you a website that was really helpful if you want...stopped me instantly). I stopped playing basketball at 36, because it just wasn't worth the way I felt the next day. Stretching has helped a lot too, and so has martial arts. As for appearance, oh well, I just accept that I look my age. It is so much harder to keep the weight off now, but I keep at it. Good luck, and just start small with changes.

[Bigvivec]

Originally Posted by Diane

Pa Playa - I shouldn't speak for BigV, but I don't think his attitude is his problem. As we all know, he has the healthiest ego of anyone here and the whole "woe is me" act is just that - an act. I always think of BigV as a guy who loves his life and now he's finally realized he needs to get rid of a few vices so he can be around to enjoy that wonderful life.

BigV - If you think I'm totally off base - I'm sorry, but I won't believe you in any case. I know I'm right.

I’m not sure about what Diane is basing the whole egotistical thing on but she is right in that I love my life…just need to cut down on the vices as I can feel it slowing me down…but it is all relative as I don’t sleep, play soccer whenever the boys put a match together (three times a month or so), work 6 days a week on a 10 to 10 split shift or thereabouts, play my role as husband, father, driver, problem solver with the wife and kid(s)(three more weeks ‘till #2!) and am a golf fanatic and love watching movies and the net simultaneously long after the rest of the house has gone to bed…I feel it catching up to me more than it did and in the wake of a meeting with a financial planner my mindset was set forward 25 years to life and in the process of considering how I wanted to be financially then, my health naturally entered my mind as well…that and a new kid on the way, potential job change in the next year or two which would require a probable international move to a new property which in turn would require complete menu writing, costing, training of all staff, locating purveyors, etc. etc. etc. and I think that the occasional red bull isn’t going to get it done…twinges and aches that don’t go away serve as a reminder that my time is limited, and that continuing to cut a swath through life is going to take a more concerted effort as responsibilities pile up and energy naturally fades…


…and you can keep your face cream JungleJ HOW DARE YOU!!!!

[ringin]

Man, I'm 33 and I can tell that getting old isn't for the timid. I don't carry much extra weight. I'm fortunate that I was blessed with a taller and thinner frame than most, so at 6'5", 205 I don't feel I'm overweight, but you're right BigV that it's the little things that are starting to get me. Lower back pain is bothering me more than it used to, and my dang knees are just a wreck. Even after a couple scope jobs, they just refuse to stop hurting most of the time. Another 50+ years of this knee and back pain doesn't sound like too much fun.

[JPsuff]

.


You're as young as you feel.

Even though I turned 50 over eight months ago, I'm still waiting for it to kick in. I may be fifty, but my mind sure isn't and the way I see myself is as if I were still in my thirties. Sure, I have some aches and pains and I don't think that I could walk 72 holes on a weekend like I did way back when, but I could walk some and ride the rest.

"Back-in-the-day", I used to be able to park my car, grab my clubs, sign in and be teeing off in minutes without so much as a practice swing. Today, I need to hit at least 20 or 30 balls to properly loosen up and I begin THAT process very slowly with copious amounts of stretching. But once I'm warmed up, I swing with the same force and flexibility that I had years ago - or at least it seems that way to me.

I think attitude, more than anything else, has to do with how one sees aging. I don't "think" old. I'm always joking around, I always have a sarcastic (some might say sardonic) comment at the ready no matter what the situation and though sometimes inappropriate, it keeps me sharp and lets me know that the ol' gray matter is still functioning properly. I don't see aging as anything other than getting older. I don't see age as any indicator of how I should act or what activities I should enjoy. I don't think that bungee jumping is something that I'll be doing anytime soon, but it's something that I probably wouldn't have done in my twenties either. But if someone wants to bungee jump for their 65th birthday, all I'd say to that is, "Have fun!"

I don't think I'm looking to make any major changes physically. Like everyone else, I'd like to keep my weight at a manageable level, but I have no illusions about six-pack abs or bench pressing a Toyota. I think many people get too caught up in the "Oh my God I'm getting old!" thing but I don't understand that. We've all been getting older since we took our first breath and I'm certainly not the first person to experience the phenomena. Aging gracefully is about the best I'm hoping for. I'd like to think that I'll be playing a decent game of golf well into my 70's and maybe even my 80's but if I'm mentally up for it and nothing is broken, I'd try it in my 90's as well (though I'd probably HAVE to take a cart by then and that would ****, but I suppose I could deal with that.

(I probably wouldn't stop whining about it, though...)


-JP

[Bigvivec]

Originally Posted by JPsuff

.


You're as young as you feel.

Even though I turned 50 over eight months ago, I'm still waiting for it to kick in. I may be fifty, but my mind sure isn't and the way I see myself is as if I were still in my thirties. Sure, I have some aches and pains and I don't think that I could walk 72 holes on a weekend like I did way back when, but I could walk some and ride the rest.

"Back-in-the-day", I used to be able to park my car, grab my clubs, sign in and be teeing off in minutes without so much as a practice swing. Today, I need to hit at least 20 or 30 balls to properly loosen up and I begin THAT process very slowly with copious amounts of stretching. But once I'm warmed up, I swing with the same force and flexibility that I had years ago - or at least it seems that way to me.

I think attitude, more than anything else, has to do with how one sees aging. I don't "think" old. I'm always joking around, I always have a sarcastic (some might say sardonic) comment at the ready no matter what the situation and though sometimes inappropriate, it keeps me sharp and lets me know that the ol' gray matter is still functioning properly. I don't see aging as anything other than getting older. I don't see age as any indicator of how I should act or what activities I should enjoy. I don't think that bungee jumping is something that I'll be doing anytime soon, but it's something that I probably wouldn't have done in my twenties either. But if someone wants to bungee jump for their 65th birthday, all I'd say to that is, "Have fun!"

I don't think I'm looking to make any major changes physically. Like everyone else, I'd like to keep my weight at a manageable level, but I have no illusions about six-pack abs or bench pressing a Toyota. I think many people get too caught up in the "Oh my God I'm getting old!" thing but I don't understand that. We've all been getting older since we took our first breath and I'm certainly not the first person to experience the phenomena. Aging gracefully is about the best I'm hoping for. I'd like to think that I'll be playing a decent game of golf well into my 70's and maybe even my 80's but if I'm mentally up for it and nothing is broken, I'd try it in my 90's as well (though I'd probably HAVE to take a cart by then and that would ****, but I suppose I could deal with that.

(I probably wouldn't stop whining about it, though...)


-JP

You talk a good game old man...

My father told me that I would know when I was getting older when parts of my body started to hurt and the pain never went away...also I'd know when I would be able to take a nap anytime...as a bouncing 14year old I couldn't imagine sleeping in the middle of the day or not feeling great most of the time...


Dad knew what he was talking about!


A young outlook and state of mind is a great thing to maintain...but no amount of VH1 is going to make my body feel the way it used to...and it's a little depressing thinking that my current state is the best that it is ever going to be anymore...


But I still play straight out of the car with a practice swing or two...