The Damn I'm Old Thread - Putting Up With Being a Geezer

[Firth]

I'm "only" 55 and walking, while trying to change my appetite. It's really difficult, being a meat lover. But, I need to bring down my cholesterol.

It's not about the meat, it's a weight loss thing. Keep the meat and salad, cut the carbs.

[Firth]

Nothing new, but just about every research study done on memory & aging (Parkinson's & Dementia aside) has found that short-term memory is down the toilet way before long-term as one grows older.

An example I may have posted here before since I joined PE in 2006 is that I can remember & sing along to hundreds of NYC street-corner doowop songs I last sang with any regularity in about 1961 when I was 16. I remember every inflection, every vocal nuance and every single word.

The hundreds of different songs I subsequently sang in years of being a folkie & then a rocker, not nearly as much.

The latest I read was that short and long term memory are a trade. Doing things which improve short term memory (exercise for example) results in degraded long term memory. And vice versa. I think exercise is most important because you feel better and have more energy to do things with whatever brain power you have.

[Firth]

A few weeks ago, my sister, who is the unofficial keeper of the Mattes family photo archives,gave me golden oldie photo, one i haven't seen in..probably fifty years or longer.My sixth grade class photo from PS 178(Queens/NY.

What amazed me was how many kids i could name, after not having seen this picture in God knows how long.I distinctly recall the names of two girls i liked,another couple of girls i was so-so with; a few guys i recall being friends with.The names just jumped out at me.There were twenty five kids in the photo, i could name eight or nine.That seemed like a lot, to me.

I wonder how many of your sixth grade classmates you think could name if you saw a photo of your old class for the first time in many many years.Just curious.

Silly question, i know.Whattdya expect, i'm old.

Because I'm a military brat, I moved every 2 or 3 years and perhaps why I don't remember names that well, independent of my age.

[Gizmotron]

Because I'm a military brat, I moved every 2 or 3 years and perhaps why I don't remember names that well, independent of my age.

I agree with you. I was in the same situation so it is easy for me to be sure of dates and events.

[spellbound]

It's not about the meat, it's a weight loss thing.

So...It ain't the meat, it's the motion?

[jake]

I'm 56 - I didn't want to become an old fat fuck - so for that, and other reasons, I became a vegan over 5 years ago. Now I'm an old fat vegan fuck.

[Sunlight Caller]

I'm 55 approaching 56 before the year is out, I have always been very fit, I used to run marathons, cycle long distances and have always hit the gym.... but.... the last two years have been rubbish, losing both parents one to cancer and one to dementia, all of which took me away from my fitness regime. The pounds went on and it's only this past few months I have decided to fight back. Lapsed gym membership reinstated, and I'm watching the intake too, and feeling so much more positive.

I've started re-evaluating so much. Sorting through my parents lifetime of possessions has made me look round mine and think why all of these CDs, record, books, DVDs etc. I feel like I can't add any more to the stacks, and may just start a programme of weeding out superfluous discs. I need a leaner life in all respects!

[Firth]

So...It ain't the meat, it's the motion?

Rofl[emoji1]

[Firth]

I'm 56 - I didn't want to become an old fat fuck - so for that, and other reasons, I became a vegan over 5 years ago. Now I'm an old fat vegan fuck.

Sugar is vegan[emoji6] 2 things vegans don't get farm diet, Vitamin D and Taurine. D is something geezers need more of, more than just bones. Sun is good but not here all the time and the immune system loves D. Taurine helps metabolism and in most energy drinks.

[Duncan Glenday]

Bicycling is your friend. Great exercise; low impact....

59.
Biking 12 km pr. day, 5 days a week...

Yep.

I used to race when I was a kid (18 to 21 years old) - then sat on the couch for 30 years and got old and (a bit) overweight and tried to raise a family and a career.

On turning 50 I decided I needed a service and a tune-up. Started gym, then hiking, then climbing ... then got back into cycling.

Now, at 59, I'm racing again. Raced ultra-distance 3 years ago, raced criteriums last year, next year I'll probably switch to road races. I'm probably almost as fit/strong as when I was 21. E.g. I did a 61-mile bike ride yesterday (Sunday) morning. My wife slept in a bit - and I was back before she woke up.

...the last two years have been rubbish, losing both parents...

Sad to hear, Chris.

But glad you're running again.

An alternative view:

I recently went to the funeral of my wife's grandfather. He was in his 90's and never exercised a day in his life. He drank a lot. He had one of the largest private collections of Jazz 78's and LPs.
Compare him to a number of young, strapping people that I have know that died suddenly from physical issues or from sudden trauma. A dear cycling friend of mine was killed when he was 19. He was run over by a drunk, non-licensed, here-in-the-country-illegally idiot at 10 am on a Sunday in a deserted downtown back in 1988.

Sometimes it really is your genes or your luck that matter more. That is why it is important to have some fun while you are here. Make a difference. Be nice to strangers.

Yes - BUT if you're fit then:

1). Your quality of life is better while you're around, and

2). your chances at a longer life are improved.

[spellbound]

I'm a little bit north of 60. I can't afford a gym. I mainly walk or rarely bicycle for exercise when I'm not hurting. And I work in my yard. I try to eat food that's good for me, and in moderation, but remain above my goal weight, so far (I did lose 10 pounds). I read, do crossword puzzles, and help my daughter with her homework (when she asks for help) to remain sharp. I look at this mindsucking interweb to keep from getting too smart. Can't remember names for shit, but that's nothing new. Oh, and I stay angry about being laid off several years ago and being unable to find work, despite (or because of) two college degrees and lots of experience. Too much education and too many birthdays make Jack unemployable these days.

[ronmac]

It's not about the meat, it's a weight loss thing. Keep the meat and salad, cut the carbs.

It's a lowering the cholesterol thing. Losing the weight is easy.

[The Dark Elf]

Well, at 56 and already having had a heart attack and two stents due to...ummm...a rather extravagant lifestyle, I can say that walking a couple miles a day, not eating fast food, reading ingredients on food containers, eliminating or minimizing red meat, cholesterol and sodium, and drinking modestly is not a bad thing. Just don't tell my wife I said that.

[SteveSly]

Interesting discussion. I just turned 55 at ProgDay 2 weeks ago. I have always worked out to some extent, although my motivation seems to come and go. I still own an old Solo-Flex (rubber band) machine that I have had since my 20’s and still use it. I have not been able to run for about 10 years now due to knee problems, but I do try to walk a half hour (about 2 miles) on the treadmill most days. As for weight, I still love to drink calorie heavy micro-brew beer, and love sugar and fried foods, so I basically try to moderate my intake. I typically fast one day a week (usually on Mondays), and then watch it during the rest of the week. On weekends or when on vacation, I usually eat and drink whatever I want. If I know I am going on vacation I will usually try to lose a few pounds in the weeks leading up to it. It all seems to have worked fairly well so far. I started having problems with hereditary high cholesterol back in my late 30’’s. I was prescribed Lipitor and it has proved to be a bit of a miracle drug for me as it drastically reduced my cholesterol levels. My doctor says I could be the poster boy for how well it works. These days I am on a lower dose and as long as I keep my weight down the low dose works just as well.

All that being said, I can definitely feel a reduction of energy since turning 50 and something always hurts. I have also had a few health issues since the big five 0 as well. I detect a reduction in mental capacity as I am not as sharp as I used to be, and all of a sudden I can’t seem to be able to remember a lot of things. My driving skills appear to have deteriorated slightly as well especially when driving in unfamiliar places, which never used to faze me. I keep on a rockin though!

[rdclark]

I just turned 65 and retired from a job I was in for 30 years. I've had a quadruple bypass, five stents, a tumor removed from my abdomen, back surgery, shoulder surgery, an ankle reconstruction, a kidney stone the size of a grape, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and male pattern baldness. That I can think of.

So I have no advice that anybody would want. But for what it's worth, I'd probably have been dead 10 years ago if not for cycling, great medical insurance, and my habit of buying tickets to shows that are a year away, so there's always something to live for.

[Sunlight Caller]

Now, at 59, I'm racing again. Raced ultra-distance 3 years ago, raced criteriums last year, next year I'll probably switch to road races. I'm probably almost as fit/strong as when I was 21. E.g. I did a 61-mile bike ride yesterday (Sunday) morning.

I'm in awe of your cycling efforts Duncan, your FB posts put me to shame! I'm in the midst of converting a store room into a small gym and will put my bike on a turbo to get more use out of it. I don't get out on the roads nearly enough as I split my time between my home and my girlfriends and so half of the year I am without my bike.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[rapidfirerob]

61 here. Retiring from my teaching gig June 4 will help me live longer, as the principal this last year was an asshole, and I hear he still is.
I had a tumor (sarcoma) in my leg five years ago, had surgery and radiation. Tennis is my love as far as exercise. I can still play but can't run, or
my leg will break, from the radiation. I take walks as well. Still playing music and going to concerts keeps me sane as well. The family helps a lot, certainly.
My parents are now gone and my younger sister died of colon cancer in 09. I eat a low fat diet, very little sugar, no red meat. My colonoscopy
was clean, no polyps. I have slow growing colon cancer, which I'm watching, PSA tests and biopsies. I don't want any of the treatments if I can
help it. Whoever said growing older isn't for sissies wasn't kidding. Enjoy every day!

[BobM]

57 now and retired for a year. I go to the gym every other day, and have been doing so for many years. This keeps the cholesterol and triglycerides and weight down and my strength up. I started a blog when I retired but it never gathered a lot of people, so I folded it when the year ran out. I also wrote the first third of a book I was contemplating. It is pure fiction and has nothing to do with my life experiences. The second part plot is forming in my head and that bit of writing should commence soon.

Of course I play golf when the weather is good and have gotten my handicap down to a 10. My wife and I also travel and will be snowbirding in Sarasota, FL this winter for the first time. Perhaps we will buy a home and move there, but the area is new to us and we have to experience it first.

I used to play the piano, but I have yet to pick it up again and begin practicing. I also could start playing the guitar, but somehow it continues to get put off. The music system in my man cave gets a good work out though.

[Zeuhlmate]

Getting older is a bit overrated - but whats the alternative?

Pension age in Denmark is 67½. Workaholic paradise?

[Shadow]

So...It ain't the meat, it's the motion?

For you, it's the meat.

[Lopez]

... so there's always something to live for.

My paternal grandfather lived to be 95. That's what he said is the secret; to have something to look forward to. I have a ticket to see Nashville Pussy in December. There's my something.

I'll be 63 in November and mentally I feel young, but just lately I'm starting to feel old physically. I'm currenty having a gout flare-up in my right knee. Wow, can that hobble you. When the weather is good, I walk a lot, and I work in the yard tending the garden. There's not much I can do to change my appearance, which I think is kind of old looking, but I try to keep positive. I always have a nice word for everyone; I refrain from talking politics; and I will never, ever say, "Hot enough for ya?"

[Shadow]

61 here. I had melanoma removed from my neck in 2005 and had a blood clot in my right leg in 2010. I was lighted headed and felt like I might pass out a couple times over the past couple months so my wife told me to go see Doc Joe, he's a friend. He had some blood tests and an EKG or ECC. The blood test showed very low diabetes, so he put me on Metformin and said if I lost about ten pounds it would probably leave.

[Yodelgoat]

I stopped swimming about 6 months ago, because my shoulders can no longer take the pressure. I have been overweight in my older years, but the swimming kept me reasonably toned. Now that I've stopped I have tried biking, and its okay, but in Texas where its 105 - its not all that pleasant, so I have been slackin'. despite this, I am dropping weight - mostly because I am more dormant, and I dont get that hungry any more. Last year I pushed and lost 70 pounds while still swimming. It was tough at 56. Much Tougher than when I was in my 40's where I still looked ok in speedos. Now I dont even worry about my looks (Baldness and fatness dont encourage self esteem) Ive gained back about 30 of the pounds I lost, but am losing it all due to lethargy and being a little smarter about portion control and substance abuse - I'm talking food here.

I feel old. I feel like I have lived through one of the ages of middle earth. I hardly recognize the world I live in and despite being an IT guy and being up on technology, I have this feeling of exhaustion with the world. Kinda looking forward (just a bit) to that Terrestrial dirt nap.

[Sunlight Caller]

I'm currently having a gout flare-up in my right knee. Wow, can that hobble you.

I feel your pain, that one gets me quite often, but migrates between knee and ankle. I try and push through it, and was even in the gym on Sunday with a slight flare up in my foot. I take daily allopurinol, but as I hate taking any pills, I self-medicate and leave it alone now and then. It always backfires and gets me in the end!

My ambition is to lose about 14 lbs (we call that a stone over here), I'm half way to my target in the last 6 weeks, and then I'll be back to a fit weight, and the gout is definitely lesser when I'm at that weight. The gym I joined gives you a thorough evaluation and comes up with your physical age, which for me they gave as 8 years younger at 47. It may be just to make me feel better, but I'll take that

[WHORG]

Walk at work (to/from/at) - about 3 miles daily - measured/logged.
Brisk walk in our neighborhood 3X per week - 2 miles
Elliptical trainer - 4X per week - 10 minutes hard/10 minutes light

Summer - lots of swimming most every weekend
Fall - hiking every weekend when possible

I would love to get a bicycle again - but deathly afraid of the roads & situation here . . . very uncooperative drivers and few dedicated lanes. Boston/Cambridge was much better in that regard . . . oh well.

~jk