20 years ago, I ate whatever I wanted - and I have a real bad sweet tooth. I've always had a weight problem & by age 25, I weighed 405 lbs. I did lots of research & learned what I should be eating. A year or two later, I was 185 lbs (my photo). I've been 170 lbs now for 12 years. When someone says "Diets don't work," they're absolutely right. A diet is a temporary solution to a permanent problem. (I've tried all of them) I still crave sweets, but I satisfy it with fruit instead of Pepsi & Doritos. And because I'm diabetic, I learned about the different types of carbohydrates & the important differences between processed food & natural food.
My A1C got up to 6.9, had slowly been rising over the past several years. My doc said if it hit 7.0, he’d recommend more aggressive action. I happened to watch a video and the recommended activity was so simple, it was a no brainer. Within 45 days of starting, I had another A1C test and it had dropped to 6.6. The only decline in almost 4 years and the biggest ever. Have a look at my post. http://seniorsonly.club/threads/my-recent-experience-with-diabetes-metformin-and-youtube.21920/
I let myself go until my early 20s when I realized I was mess and had better straighten out. I lost nearly 50 lbs., began running, and improved my diet. I don't run anymore but continue to exercise. I made it to 80 so maybe that's why, but I think some people have a longevity gene and they could ignore their health completely and still lead a long life.
George Burns comes to mind, also a friend of my wife. He is getting close to 80, still smokes cigarettes, snacks CONSTANTLY on potato chips and favorite meal is bologna sandwiches on white bread, very thin, always has a project around the house to keep him busy. His last one was knocking out the back wall of the house (lower floor), extending and remodeling the kitchen.
20 years ago I still did not have any children but at 65 my first child was born so it is better in one way than 20 years ago
My 2022 labs were very good and I just looked and A1C was 5.1. I'm forever working with a new supplement to address something that is a little off. And I've changed foods so much and got rid of sugars and carbs a lot. My next doc appt is 6/1 and it's a telemed as my walking is not improving, always working on it, but the surgery damage can't be undone...
I took somewhat better care 20 years ago. Was still working and had good insurance , dental was acceptable at least. If I make it to Aug when I turn 75, that alone is a big milestone for me, for many reasons. I merely do maintenance now when needed. Not going to spend what money we do have on trying to keep me going forever. Like one of my motto's- I aim to live well while here, vs living longer.
Well for me, I feel healthy all in all but for the aging, 85 soon, and the damaged body from hip replacement, so my money is well spent on my supplement aids as I certainly don't spend it on gadgets and Technology, this desk computer is it...no apps etc....And I get plenty of information for my life.
I’m not so sure it’s all about monitoring my health better than 20 years ago for the sake of health but rather, this journey I have been on for the last 10 years demands it. 20 years ago I was active just as I am now. 20 years ago I didn’t supplement at all but now I do but it’s not because I suddenly felt the need to improve my health via supplements. 20 years ago I had no thought of building muscle mass and strength by going to the gym and lifting a lot of plates. As of the last 8-10 years, I have made bodybuilding a hard study and use every natural tool available to further that agenda. It’s a given that I’m bigger and one of the side effects of natural bodybuilding is definitely better health but to me it’s like comparing apples to oranges. 20 years ago I had a completely different lifestyle than I do now.
This is supposed to be in Health and Wellness.There was a thread asking what people do to take care of themselves but I am extremely new so if someone can tell me how to add to that thread I will.I have a Rhumatic heart and had lots done medically, can anyone relate or want to add something?I will take questions to lol.I'm new like I said so if I'm making mistakes please tell me.♀️
It looks like you posted in an appropriate thread, @Julia Curtis , since this thread is about taking care of your health. However, many of the threads in this section of the forum do pertain to health and taking care of ourselves. If you have a key word that you want to find in a thread, there is a search bar at the top of each page and it will bring up threads that contain that word. If you click for titles only, then you would see threads with that search word in the title somewhere. If you do not see a thread about what you want to discuss, you can just start a new thread and title it about that topic.