Im so angry with myself for years of sucking my stomach in. That, wearing a tight belt and pantihose, coupled with bending over a dice table for work caused terrible reproductive issues including two partial hysterectomy. Not worth the agony. A little too late for me at 68.
Still time for you, though. Happy you found a way to accept the pooch. At the end of the day there really are more important things to be concerned about, past the vanity metrics standards we're held by before enlightenment!
I am 68 and right there with you! I keep looking at my tummy and remind myself, it's ok, you don't have to look like you are 25! You can look like a normal 68 year old woman who is a little big around the middle! Who really cares, anyway? Thanks for writing about this and reminding us to love and accept ourselves as we are!
I was sucking my stomach in a bit while reading this...because it's not just women who do this. :\
I've always had what we in our family call a "TenBrink Tummy." From about 13-33, I sucked it in. And then somewhere along the way, I pretty much stopped. It's not that I stopped caring, or stopped wishing I had a flat six-pack; I just stopped subjecting myself to it 16-18 hours a day. Some 20 years later, I still wish (every day) that I had Brad Pitt in Fight Club abs, but I also know I never will, and I'm (kinda-sorta-mostly) okay with that. What I do now is mostly just try to have better posture overall. A happy by-product of that is that when sitting or standing up straighter, our belly will automatically stick out a bit less.
Thanks for writing this; you're definitely not the only one who's chased the impossible!
Im so angry with myself for years of sucking my stomach in. That, wearing a tight belt and pantihose, coupled with bending over a dice table for work caused terrible reproductive issues including two partial hysterectomy. Not worth the agony. A little too late for me at 68.
Oh gosh I'm sorry to hear that Patti
Still time for you, though. Happy you found a way to accept the pooch. At the end of the day there really are more important things to be concerned about, past the vanity metrics standards we're held by before enlightenment!
I am 68 and right there with you! I keep looking at my tummy and remind myself, it's ok, you don't have to look like you are 25! You can look like a normal 68 year old woman who is a little big around the middle! Who really cares, anyway? Thanks for writing about this and reminding us to love and accept ourselves as we are!
Yes exactly this Linda!
Love this!!
Oh gosh you made me laugh.
I was sucking my stomach in a bit while reading this...because it's not just women who do this. :\
I've always had what we in our family call a "TenBrink Tummy." From about 13-33, I sucked it in. And then somewhere along the way, I pretty much stopped. It's not that I stopped caring, or stopped wishing I had a flat six-pack; I just stopped subjecting myself to it 16-18 hours a day. Some 20 years later, I still wish (every day) that I had Brad Pitt in Fight Club abs, but I also know I never will, and I'm (kinda-sorta-mostly) okay with that. What I do now is mostly just try to have better posture overall. A happy by-product of that is that when sitting or standing up straighter, our belly will automatically stick out a bit less.
Thanks for writing this; you're definitely not the only one who's chased the impossible!
Oh boy, can I ever relate! Love this article.