Anonymous wrote:I'm 53, 54 soon and will never surrender !!

Exercise is just a way of life for me, always has been. 6 days per week. I color my roots, pedicures, eat relatively healthy, use retinoids. I'm not going to do crazy plastic surgery or mess up my face--but maintenance and health and things that make me feel good (hair color, etc) I will continue.

I agree. My mom and her mom before her are/were similar. Nobody looks like Barbie or anything, but we exercise to be strong, dye our hair, wear light makeup every day. Like concealer, blush, tinted lip balm. In the words of Ricky’s, “Looking good, feeling good”. I like to look nice.

What kind of skin care?

At home stuff like cleansing, using drugstore retinol and hydrating creams, and sun screen. Occasional facial at a derm/spa if you enjoy that.

Anonymous wrote:What does 'letting yourself go' mean to you?

Taking care of yourself: enough sleep, eat healthy, exercise, regular doctor and dentist, skin care, etc.

OR

Taking care of yourself: hair colored, botox, makeup, mani/pedi, derm procedures, etc.

I'm in the first group.

Yes! I do the things in the first group, don't care about the second group. I'm trying to look good for my age, not pass as a busted version of someone 10 years younger.

Anonymous wrote:48 and I’ll let myself go when my physical or mental health declines to the point that I am unable to exercise or otherwise maintain my looks. My mom is 78 and still works out every day and puts effort into her appearance. Her friends are similar.

+1 my mom is turning 80 and has the energy and mobility of a 60-year old. Very much "use it or lose it". She never stops moving. She still is interested in fashion, colors her hair, exercises. She was a nurse and then a hospital administrator and the volunteered until about 4 years ago. She moved into an over 55 community this summer and has a more active social life than me.

I'm 53, 54 soon and will never surrender !!

Exercise is just a way of life for me, always has been. 6 days per week. I color my roots, pedicures, eat relatively healthy, use retinoids. I'm not going to do crazy plastic surgery or mess up my face--but maintenance and health and things that make me feel good (hair color, etc) I will continue.

Anonymous wrote:What does 'letting yourself go' mean to you?

Taking care of yourself: enough sleep, eat healthy, exercise, regular doctor and dentist, skin care, etc.

OR

Taking care of yourself: hair colored, botox, makeup, mani/pedi, derm procedures, etc.

I'm in the first group.

What kind of skin care?

Anonymous wrote:Ok. That was terrible way to phrase it…but when did you accept the weight gain, gray hairs, wrinkles and stopped the daily fight with age? At what age did you say, I cant fight anymore. Or are you still fighting it til the end…via surgery, supplements ect.

I guess I never started fighting it. Is it the norm to have surgery? What kind of supplements?

What does 'letting yourself go' mean to you?

Taking care of yourself: enough sleep, eat healthy, exercise, regular doctor and dentist, skin care, etc.

OR

Taking care of yourself: hair colored, botox, makeup, mani/pedi, derm procedures, etc.

I'm in the first group.

Anonymous wrote:I’m 48 and I’ve let myself go. My job and my family take every waking hour. There’s no time for the gym, for relaxation, etc.

I wish I were in a position to quit my job, and then I could put a little more emphasis on myself. Unfortunately, that’s just not in the cards.

Weekends? I struggle to work out during the week exercise religiously on weekends. Even two days a week makes a difference.

48 and I’ll let myself go when my physical or mental health declines to the point that I am unable to exercise or otherwise maintain my looks. My mom is 78 and still works out every day and puts effort into her appearance. Her friends are similar.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I care about what I eat and how well I can move.

I don't care about how I look.

Have I let myself go?

Yea in a sense. But it eventually happens to everyone you just started early with not caring. If you don’t care about how you look

It's one of the few things I didn't procrastinate on! (Actually, I used to dye my hair. But life is short and I tend to see the opportunity cost in everything, so I started to figure out how to spend my resources on the things that matter to me. Life is pretty great now.)

I’m 48 and I’ve let myself go. My job and my family take every waking hour. There’s no time for the gym, for relaxation, etc.

I wish I were in a position to quit my job, and then I could put a little more emphasis on myself. Unfortunately, that’s just not in the cards.

I am 50 and do light Botox, highlight my hair (dark blonde not a lot of gray but it’s drab if I do nothing). I am very careful with my diet, I had put on about 20 lbs during covid and it was hell to lose it. I do yoga and walk to maintain agility and muscle mass, for me weight control is about diet (see a lot of people thinking they can outrun a bad diet).

I need to work for another 5 years and sadly I think women are less taken seriously when they are frumpy. I did however stop wearing heels as my feet cannot take it anymore.

I’m 49 and have let myself go. I eat what I want, wear comfortable shoes and clothes, and only exercise if I feel like it (rarely). I need to get healthier, but stopped caring about how I look.

Anonymous wrote:I care about what I eat and how well I can move.

I don't care about how I look.

Have I let myself go?

Yea in a sense. But it eventually happens to everyone you just started early with not caring. If you don’t care about how you look