Recently, I have read several articles about people letting their personal appearances go down the drain after the age of 45. One article stated “people get gross and fat when they get older.” I found it interesting as I am truly impressed with how 50 and more so 60 year olds age nowadays. The articles said it was due to the lifestyles in their 20’s and 30’s that they now have health issues in their 40’s. Did health issues start after you turned 45? Is life just about over after 45 or is it just the beginning ? Let’s talk about it… #letstalkaboutit

Candy Yvonne: “Nope, praise the Lord I’m as healthy now as I was then!”

Rebecca Banks: ”Meanwhile, this 60-year old ‘wildebeast’ feels I have much more to offer than I did as a 20-year old ‘hottie’. But if some man feels I don’t have any value left because my skin is less taut, well, he’s not really a person of much substance anyway so really not worth my time…”

Nick Yealand:“Life is what you make it and if you are dreading your age so badly it prevents you from living, then the problem lies with oneself. I imagine when I’m 50+ I’ll still be the same as I am today just a little wiser.”

Gene A Gomez: “My health issues started in my mid 30’s. I didn’t take care of myself. I didn’t start seeing a doctor until it was too late. I do believe my lifestyle contributed.”

Pack Dave: “It’s really pathetic seeing people convince themselves they’re just as healthy and capable as they were in their youth. Basic biology tells us the human body is well into the process of failing by the time you’re 45. Basic statistics on the economy tells us it’s extremely difficult to change careers or progress much in your job after your 40s. Other statistics show it’s extremely hard to find a partner or make large changes in your life as you enter your 40s. So unless you’re perfectly content with your life by that point you’re most likely going to experience some negative feelings. You can list all the anecdotes you want, but the facts I stated remain. But keep using mental gymnastics to tell yourself that anybody can just “flip” any reality and suddenly make it disappear.”

C Dee: “I’m 54. My 40’s were great! I started the aches/pains and body problems about 50. One thing that is great for me in my 50’s is that I am secure about myself plus my marriage is good.”

Sharon Hall: “I loved my forties. I felt good, looked good and was more confident then I had ever been. My health was also good. Now I am 51, I’m still all of the above but I might feel a little more aches now. Be confident and go forth and don’t convince yourself you’re old or you will feel it.”

Manuel C Ortiz: “Check engine light came on at 41 had to make a lifestyle change but happy with this new way.”

Mary Svetlik Watkins: “I could be fat or 40 – not both. I could do something about fat because I couldn’t stop 40. I lost 88 pounds. I turned 50 in January. Things started not working. For me, life began in my 40s. My kids were near grown so I had time to work on myself. I went back to work after 22 years of being a mom. I learned and honed a certain set of skills. I turned 50 and ran for election. Kicked my opponent’s butt and made history. Life is what you make it. You can wallow or you can rise.”

Ignacio Oliva: “I’m in my Prime.”

Rod Gory: “You got it all wrong “life after forty” is when life begins. The kids have grown, while you still support them you finally get to live your own life. It is no longer school yard stuff. Women feel the same and know what they want. Imagine that.. No fooling about. You met a nice lady and before you know it, she is enjoying everything she missed out on. You should be warned they tend to be more adventurous than you are used to. Women of this age are magnificent and only tend to get better with age. Growing old isn’t a condition but rather a frame of mind.”

Paul McCreary: “Try 77. Believe me, 45 is a great age that I would go back to any time. The 50s are fine, too, and you will feel about the same in your 70s. Value every day, treat people well, waste no days, and love as much as possible.”

Eva Lynne: “When my 53rd birthday rolled up on me last month I noticed my face was decidedly falling off. That was a bummer. But, acceptance is the solution to all my problems, today. I work dirty, physical construction related jobs so I’m as strong as I’ve ever been previously. But after hitting that wall, the face could use some Bondo.Tough luck for my face. I guess I’ll need to lean hard on showcasing personality and a chipper attitude if I hope to land any dates. Hahaha.. Fortunately, I’m more of a worker than a dater. Seriously, though, life is a gift.”

Sylvia Smoller: “45 was long ago – but I can tell you what it’s like for me to be 89. I still work part-time, doing research, writing papers and mostly mentoring younger people and helping them to advance their careers. I am writing the 5th edition of a textbook on research I wrote with my son. I belong to two book clubs and a poetry group (I have published a book of poems during the pandemic. I have just completed a memoir (mostly during the pandemic). I love being with my granddaughter and son and daughter-in-law. I have a romantic relationship with a British man and we fly back and forth across the Pond. Yes, I have aches and pains and lumbar stenosis. Yes I am peripheral in many areas where I used to be central, and yes there are many things I can’t do physically – but on the whole I love life and am grateful for what is still possible at 89.”

Laura Lee Mason · “Wow! I loved my 40’s! You’re still young enough to look good and old enough to have some cash in your pocket. You’re brave enough to get out of bed relationships and to make new friends and try new things. Come to think of it, 58 is pretty great too. Go get some exercise, and take some trips. Keep the mantra to work hard and play harder! Keep some young people in your life, they will bring you new ideas and thoughts to keep you young. Keep some elderly people as they will give you insight and reflect. Always have a child or two to love and play with and never lose your faith in God. Oh … and stay thankful.”

Peter Sisk: “At 45, the chickens have begun to come home to roost. It is not too late, at 45, to become a decent human being. All it takes is work and all you need to do is to pay attention.”

A C Brown: “ I’m 45 and things don’t seem as bleak from my vantage point. Yeah, many of the attractive ones from high school are looking very rough now. The men seem to age worse with balding and beer guts. But not everyone fixates on failures at this age. I certainly don’t. I still have lots of hope for the future, make new friendships and savor the old ones. It takes effort though. By this age, I do notice that things are cyclical like fashion, music, and history constantly repeats itself. And you don’t buy people’s BS anymore in your 40s because you’ve lived and learned – that’s nice. You get burned by people less. And you don’t care what people think about you anymore – that’s lovely. Perhaps I’m not so bad off since I was pondering the deep things in life decades ago so I’m more happy about where I have ended up now.”

Theron Watson: “It sounds like you’re just counting down to the end. Many women are still beautiful in their forties and beyond..you’ll find many of them at a gym, taking care of themselves. I find the people who haven’t aged well are the ones that stopped moving and have given in to the difficulties of living. I know forty year olds who act seventy and seventy year olds who act forty. My wife is 69 and still runs her own landscaping business, is a ski instructor in the winter, goes to the gym, kayaks and paddle boards on the river, and is a grandma to ten grandkids. I think she still looks fantastic! Maybe I’m biased.”