Letting Yourself Go Later In Life - Ramifications?

[FI_RElater]

Wait, are you sure you don't mean political, religious, covid food fight..

....hmmmm, but then you couldn't interject "Porky"

 

[EastWest Gal]

Porky = ribs and bacon?

Just kidding, of course.[emoji16]

 

[Amethyst]

What a combo! You forgot "should I pay off the mortgage, and are people who die in condo collapses partly to blame for their misfortune, or is that too mean?"

I was referring, though, to the near-religious fervor that tends to invade discussions of What To Eat, or Not.

Wait, are you sure you don't mean political, religious, covid food fight..

 

[Amethyst]

Yes, we were staying with relatives who were going through a vegan phase. They prepared wonderful, colorful, delicious (though terribly labor-intensive) vegan meals at home, of which I had seconds every time. I'm not usually a seconds person.

Then, our hosts took us to a vegan restaurant, staffed by young hippies and furnished with tables and chairs that looked like they'd been pulled from a dumpster. Their specialty was a vegan cheeseburger. It was utterly blah, especially the "cheese," which I understood to have been made, somehow, from nuts.

I feel that vegan meat and cheese are akin to, say, nonalcoholic vodka...Why bother? If you want to be vegan, just say "OK, this means I can't eat cheese or meat" and go for the fruits and vegetables that are actually good.

I've eaten enough tasty vegan meals made with real food to know that there is no reason to consume fake meats and cheeses that are made in a factory.

 

[street]

My one goal after retirement was to sustain my health and body the best that I could. I do know that we deteriorate naturally as we age thou. I get a lot of exercise from the outdoor activities I do, plus the biking, walking and daily things I do to try to stay healthy. I have lost 5 pounds from my working days and my BMI is 24.2 now. I never considered myself over weight in life and I have been blessed with good health so far in life.

I hope to never fall behind on trying to do the best job possible for my well being.

 

[Philliefan33]

I get plenty of exercise and am in the “normal” weight range. I plan to continue this as long as I can, hopefully into my 80’s (but genetics or bad luck might interfere). I’m not concerned with living longer as much as having a good quality of life. Mobility is a big part of that, I think.

However, now that I’m a grandmother I joke that I’m allowed to have those wing flaps under my arms [emoji6]

 

[street]

I get plenty of exercise and am in the “normal” weight range. I plan to continue this as long as I can, hopefully into my 80’s (but genetics or bad luck might interfere). I’m not concerned with living longer as much as having a good quality of life. Mobility is a big part of that, I think.

However, now that I’m a grandmother I joke that I’m allowed to have those wing flaps under my arms [emoji6]

Yes, I copy that statement and really that is my end goal, also.

 

[Ronstar]

My BMI has fluctuated between 22.3 and 28.3 during the past 5 years. Neither extreme was healthy IMO. I don't know what it is now because I haven't weighed myself in months, but I'm guessing around 24.5.

Maintaining a lower weight is no longer my goal. A healthy weight for some might not be healthy for others. So shooting for a certain weight makes no sense.

I'm concentrating on eating healthy and exercise and just let the weight be whatever it is.

 

[Amethyst]

Triceps dips can stave those off a good long time, though not forever (gravity wins).

I
However, now that I’m a grandmother I joke that I’m allowed to have those wing flaps under my arms [emoji6]

 

[Nick12]

Triceps dips can stave those off a good long time, though not forever (gravity wins).

Love tricep dips! Last year when the local gym was closed for covid, I went daily to the kiddie playground and did pull up, dips, and other PT ( sit ups, push ups, lunges ) to keep in shape!

 

[audreyh1]

However, now that I’m a grandmother I joke that I’m allowed to have those wing flaps under my arms [emoji6]

Triceps dips can stave those off a good long time, though not forever (gravity wins).

Some of that just seems like excess skin, and we loose skin tone as we age.

Seems like autophagy from intermittent fasting could help.

Using autophagy (cell breakdown and recycling/renewal) as an anti-aging tool would be really important in those older years. I’m about to try it more seriously. Dr. Fung warns that anything other than drinking water during a fast will interrupt the autophagy.

 

[Amethyst]

Yes, we do. As Dame Judi Dench said, when asked what was the best thing about turning 85, "Absolutely nothing."

Frankly, I'm afraid to fast. I'm pretty lean, and worry about losing even more bone mass.

Some of that just seems like excess skin, and we loose skin tone as we age.
.

 

[audreyh1]

If you research it you will fund that daily intermittent fasting i.e. limiting eating to a timed daily window does not reduce lean body mass.

 

[Chuckanut]

Note: No politics intended below. Just a an interesting story on a older guy who is obviously still very fit.

Interesting article in today's WSJ on Senator Chuck Grassley. At 87 and thinking of running for another 6 year term, he sought to show his vitality by getting down and doing a quick 22 pushups. Apparently, he has not let himself go.

 

[NW-Bound]

^^^ Dang!

How many of the youngsters here who read the above post immediately drop to the ground and try to see if they can do 22 pushups?

 

[Nick12]

^^^ Dang!

How many of the youngsters here who read the above post immediately drop to the ground and try to see if they can do 22 pushups?

Can knock it out with out ( and more ) even without breaking a sweat. I did hundreds of them throughout the day for many months while the local gyms were closed last year.

 

[Amethyst]

I do 20 ("triangle" type, to target those aging triceps) as part of my daily routine. Have done for years.

^^^ Dang!

How many of the youngsters here who read the above post immediately drop to the ground and try to see if they can do 22 pushups?

 

[NW-Bound]

I don't know how you do a push up, but when I do it, my chest has to go as low as 1-2" off the ground, without resting on the ground.

Have not done it a while, and had to stop after 10.

 

[NW-Bound]

Eh, I just found that video of Chuck Grassley and Tom Cotton doing pushups on stage.

See this: https://nypost.com/2021/06/30/87-year-old-chuck-grassley-battles-tom-cotton-44-in-push-up-challenge/


That's not how I do pushups! You've got to get your chest a lot lower.

I still give Grassley some credits for his age though. It's not bad for an 87. I cannot be sure I will even live to 87.

Here's a guy who does real pushups.

 

[OddGuy]

I envy the people of Okinawa and their longevity into their 90s and 100s. Small eating portions, active lifestyle, little to no red meat, no processed foods, are just some of the ways of them to help them live a long life.

True, though the downside is Japan is facing an epidemic of dementia, as I recently heard in an NPR piece on the subject.

Increased bodily longevity can mean the person transforms into a healthy host for a decaying brain.

 

[braumeister]

Eh, I just found that video of Chuck Grassley and Tom Cotton doing pushups on stage.

See this: https://nypost.com/2021/06/30/87-year-old-chuck-grassley-battles-tom-cotton-44-in-push-up-challenge/


That's not how I do pushups! You've got to get your chest a lot lower.

I still give Grassley some credits for his age though. It's not bad for an 87. I cannot be sure I will even live to 87.

Yes, neither of them is doing real pushups. But that's still impressive for 87.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

True, though the downside is Japan is facing an epidemic of dementia, as I recently heard in an NPR piece on the subject.

Increased bodily longevity can mean the person transforms into a healthy host for a decaying brain.

In the Blue Zone (longevity areas) that have been studied, rates of diseases like Alzheimer's are very low:

Researchers Say Most Alzheimer's Disease Cases Are Preventable—Find Out How - Blue Zones

A Greek Island's Ancient Secret to Avoiding Alzheimer's - Blue Zones

And studies putting people from other areas on Blue Zone type lifestyles results in lower rates of dementia:
Inside the FINGER Study: Hard Evidence Shows How Diet, Exercise and Mind Games Might Make or Break a Dementia Diagnosis

 

[audreyh1]

Yes, neither of them is doing real pushups. But that's still impressive for 87.

Tom Cotton - those are my kind of push-ups, and he’s 18 years younger!

 

[garyt]

Are there any obese late 80's early 90 year olds here? I am late 50's and would probably be considered obese. I'm assuming that I won't make it much past 80.

My Dad is/was. He was always listed as obese when in the Dr.s office but he never looked "fat" to me. He weighed 220 at his highest but he always carried a lot of muscle, even into his later years. A lot of it dropped with age of course which gave him a large waist but not a pot belly. He's 97 now and lost 35 pounds when he got covid. He eats like a bird now when we can get him to eat at all. This is my Dad's bicep at 95. It's all gone now at 97 and covid.

 

[braumeister]

My Dad is/was. He was always listed as obese when in the Dr.s office but he never looked "fat" to me. He weighed 220 at his highest but he always carried a lot of muscle, even into his later years.

Precisely the reason why BMI is such an imperfect measurement for some people. You can see the same in some incredibly fit people like pro football players and other sports figures. By the book they are "obese" but in fact nothing could be farther from the truth.

Very impressive arm on your dad at that age!