Can't say I agree. Love being 41! I color my hair, whiten my teeth, eat well, exercise and use good skin products. I'm so much happier now than I was in my 30's when I was building my career and my kids were little. Back then I was exhausted and/or sick all.the.time. Grateful these days for more "me time", a terrific marriage, great kids, supportive friends etc. I wish I had fewer age spots but how could I complain with all the good in my life?

I miss having a body that stayed thin and toned with no effort and regardless of what I ate. I miss looking fresh-faced and bright-eyed most of the time. And I loved my (extended) years of living alone, exploring the world, building a career, and feeling like endless possibility lay before me.

But now, in my forties, having a happy marriage and family made so many things that used to give me angst just suddenly seem unimportant. I love the sense of purpose my life has now. The constant sense of wanting to keep moving and growing has quieted. I wouldn't give these things up to go back to my twenties or thirties, although I suspect that I will eventually miss my forties because I love being sandwiched between young kids and healthy parents and I know neither will last forever.

I have enjoyed every stage of my life. When was in my 20's, I was carefree, and excited about my future and what it held for me (career and family). In my 30's, I was excited that I found and married the man I love, had a beautiful dd, and was respected in my career. Now, in my 40's, I have so much more confidence, and wisdom that only comes with age and experience. I am excited for what life has in store for me next. I don't dwell on the past. I have fond memories, but I am always looking forward to the future. As far as looks...I have held up well. My skin isn't as tight as it used to be, but I have people in my life who love me and need me, so I don't really worry about that.

Anonymous wrote:What feeling are you talking about?

Maybe she means the feeling where your body does not ache and you do not make cracking noises when you get up

At age 51 id be happy with my 45 year old body. I was fit and fabulous. Now illness has slowed me down.

I am twice your age, and let me tell you, it gets worse. You may feel old but you are not and I'll bet you don't look old. I feel old and my face and body looks it. Please take the time now to start taking care of yourself. Stay in shape, color your hair, etc., so that when you're my age you won't feel and look so darn old. We all get older; there's nothing we can do about that, but we can control how we deal with it by taking care of ourselves.

Not really if you mean long for how I used to look. the main thing I miss are my boobs (post kids - just not the same). I weigh more and wish I did not but I would say I actually feel more comfortable in my skin now at 35 than 10 years ago. The first few yrs out of college were also rough for me so I was happy when that was behind me.

No. I'm 28 though, so maybe I'll feel differently on the other side of 30. I don't really pay a ton of attention to age and birthdays and such.

I had a great time in college, but for the most part, I prefer my current life.

I went through that briefly when I was turning 29 (just turned 30 now). Stepping out of the 20s meant I was officially no longer part of "the youth". But when I thought about going back to my early 20s and starting over, I didn't want to either. I had so much fun this past decade and did some amazing things I'd never imagined myself doing, but I feel like I would make different choices out of wisdom if I started over and I appreciate and am proud of exactly where I am today. I also had some rough times that I'd never want to experience again, yet I don't regret those either. Seeing my grandparents get old and some pass on and even my parents start having issues (dad had a heart attack two years ago) made me realize how much I wanted to appreciate days like now when I can visit family and there are still 4 generations in the room.

Aside from my boobs post PF, things are still perky things to regular exercise, decent diet, and a little one that keeps me running. My early 30s are an exciting time and I've made some major life choices to include an international move. I met a woman this past week who is 40ish that is my fitness inspiration. Her body is perfectly fit and still curvy and she has two kids. Her skin is also amazing and I can tell from observation that she takes great care of herself. So I told myself that other women my age will be saying the same about me when I'm entering my 40s!

Anonymous wrote:I miss parts of being young. Mostly the freedom and the sense of possibility. But there are so many things I don't miss - feeling insecure about just about everything at some point, worrying about what guys thought of me when dating and looking to date, and feeling lonely. Now that I have my husband, kids, a career I love, and life-long friends who made it through the years with me, I feel happy, lucky, and confident. Bring it on old age! But I was always a person who craved stability. I don't like extreme highs and lows and I feel like that sort of defines being young.

This is me. I was at the mall the other day and saw girls in their 20s w/o cellulite and was envious for a while. But then I thought, I have cellulite because I got it when I was pregnant. I have an awesome kid to show for it. So I will buy the same shorts they are, just in a longer length. I am also a lot more confident and care a LOT less about what people think about me. I hated being 22 yrs old and so insecure about whether people would like me.

Anonymous wrote:Got the lipo and botox , awesome now

Got the lipo and botox , awesome now

I miss youth sometimes but I'll tell you a secret -- I wasn't that skinny, toned and popular at that time of my life. I also wasn't very wise and was a bit neurotic. I'm better adjusted now, and I've found that the beauties from my 20s are just normal looking now. In some cases I've even surpassed them. I guess it feels like aging has been a small source of revenge for me.

I'm late 20s and feel this way about teens. Totally jealous!