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Great female bodies, lifestyle or genes?


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I was just reading a thread in another section where a guy was posting and was concerned that his 45 y/o gf's body did not turn him on. A couple of responses pretty much said that as people age they just can't keep their bodies appealing.

 

I'm 64. Today my self assessment is that I'm not as 'hot' as I've been at other times in my life. But in the interest of increasing my own physical appeal I'm 'working on it' (arms and abs are the parts that I think need work), making satisfactory progress, and I think I will be able to get to the point where all my parts are appealing.

 

But I'm less curious about my own body than the bodies of the women I've been meeting though OLD. I've met women from 55 to 68. Because most of the 'young ones' don't want an 'old' guy like me and I don't want a women too old to 'keep up with me' (on hikes, bike rides, the dance floor, and rock scrambles - I'm not worried about them keeping up in bed). So most of the women I've been meeting are in a slightly narrower age range between 58 and 63.

 

That's all context so far. My point is that these grandmothers have hot bodies. They all have waists and neither 'thunder thighs' nor huge butts. My biggest criticism is that some of them probably overdid the sun over the years and have a few more wrinkles. Physical appeal is built into my picker, but I am definitely being selective, not contacting women on OLD who either describe themselves as overweight or appear so in their photos.

 

So lots of 58-63s with what I'd call good bodies are out there. These women also have had children so the old saw about a pregnancy permanently messing with their bodies does not apply. They all are into exercise - yoga, pilates, aerobics, swimming, and/or sports like tennis. So what is keeping them hot? Their lifestyle? Genetics? A combination? And does this contradict, at least to an extent, the people who say that it is inevitable to lose the physical appeal of ones body as you age?

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CautiouslyOptimistic

You're limiting your parameters to the women with great bodies, so of course what you've observed on your dates is women who've been able to maintain it.

 

It's a combination of genetics and lifestyle, just like for men.

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major_merrick

It seems to be a combination of genes and lifestyle. My genes are from Eastern Europe, and we have a saying that women from that part of the world come in two varieties: "slender model" and "sturdy peasant." If I'm not careful, I have the "sturdy peasant" physique. No matter how hard I try, I'm just never going to be slender and hourglassy like I wish I could be. I have yet to see what post-pregnancy is going to look like, and I'm dreading it.

 

My GFs have it the opposite. Slender little bodies, high metabolisms....I am rather envious. But they also exercise a lot and don't eat all that much, so there's a lifestyle aspect to it.

 

In the end, we just have to try to do our own personal best. And that's pretty difficult with modern advertising and a world with a distorted viewpoint. I don't think losing physical appeal is necessary...but I suspect that maintaining it is more difficult as a person ages. I'm just not "hot" like I was at 16 and could inhale a large pizza by myself without caring. Staying attractive takes more effort. Certainly not impossible, but the "ease" of it is gone.

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I have yet to see what post-pregnancy is going to look like, and I'm dreading it.

 

My observation as a husband whose wife went through two pregnancies is that there were two effects: weight gain and lost muscle tone. After the child(ren) is/are born, infancy sucks away the momma's time, especially with the weeks or months of two-hour feedings. The woman's body usually doesn't 'come back' FULLY to its prepregnancy shape. But plenty of women do come back to the point that they are again 'hot'. I expect it takes dedication to a particular lifestyle which, granted, is difficult with the time demands of motherhood. My OLD grandmothers are examples. There are also plenty of examples of celebrity moms whose bodies come back, and came back quickly. But they are exceptional in that their bodies are their jobs and they have enough money to have personal trainers for them and nannies on whom to offload much of the time demands of the kids.

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Adding to what nospam said, what I noticed most post pregnancy was skeletal change: My lower ribcage and hips got wider.

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I think that many (at least some) young women can have a fit body justwith their natural lifestyle, but they do have to pay attention to their diet and physical activity as they get to the middle aged range or after they have given birth to babies, if they want to be in great shape. The same applies to young men vs older men as well.

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thefooloftheyear

 

 

That's all context so far. My point is that these grandmothers have hot bodies. They all have waists and neither 'thunder thighs' nor huge butts. My biggest criticism is that some of them probably overdid the sun over the years and have a few more wrinkles. Physical appeal is built into my picker, but I am definitely being selective, not contacting women on OLD who either describe themselves as overweight or appear so in their photos.

 

So lots of 58-63s with what I'd call good bodies are out there. These women also have had children so the old saw about a pregnancy permanently messing with their bodies does not apply. They all are into exercise - yoga, pilates, aerobics, swimming, and/or sports like tennis. So what is keeping them hot? Their lifestyle? Genetics? A combination? And does this contradict, at least to an extent, the people who say that it is inevitable to lose the physical appeal of ones body as you age?

 

Most of those women grew up without technology, so there is a greater propensity that their bodies have been conditioned over the years...Same for myself and probably you as well..I don't struggle with my own body, because I do have good genetics, but more importantly, I've never been sedentary.....ever....

 

But just be aware of a couple of things, though...

 

For one, many women will "whip themselves in shape" to get into the dating game...They know in order to compete for the higher quality men, they will need to be on their game..For all you know, these women are leading lives that aren't practically sustainable over the long haul....Super restrictive diets and grueling workout regimens..Once they get comfortable in a relationship, then you will get an idea who they really are...

 

Here's the other thing...Unless you are seeing these women without clothes, or with very little on(maybe a 2 pc bathing suit or yoga pants and a sports bra), its very likely that the picture you are getting is as a result of undergarments that are specifically designed to hide flaws and give a very flattering appearance..If you ever see these infomercials for these undergarments and the before and after pics, it's really eye opening what they could do... so there's always that possibility....

 

But that aside, I do agree....Many older women now looking better than their daughters...Good on them...:)

 

TFY

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CautiouslyOptimistic

 

But just be aware of a couple of things, though...

 

For one, many women will "whip themselves in shape" to get into the dating game...They know in order to compete for the higher quality men, they will need to be on their game..For all you know, these women are leading lives that aren't practically sustainable over the long haul....Super restrictive diets and grueling workout regimens..Once they get comfortable in a relationship, then you will get an idea who they really are...

 

Here's the other thing...Unless you are seeing these women without clothes, or with very little on(maybe a 2 pc bathing suit or yoga pants and a sports bra), its very likely that the picture you are getting is as a result of undergarments that are specifically designed to hide flaws and give a very flattering appearance..If you ever see these infomercials for these undergarments and the before and after pics, it's really eye opening what they could do... so there's always that possibility....

 

 

Threads like these, and articles in the media, TV shows, real-life conversations.....are exactly why women are so insecure about their bodies. To have the scrutiny, down to minute details, that we're put under on a daily basis confirmed is very anxiety-producing, disheartening, and degrading.

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thefooloftheyear
Threads like these, and articles in the media, TV shows, real-life conversations.....are exactly why women are so insecure about their bodies. To have the scrutiny, down to minute details, that we're put under on a daily basis confirmed is very anxiety-producing, disheartening, and degrading.

 

No argument, but you can't discount that it exists either...

 

And if you(not you, personally) are a woman that is a "typical" walking around size 12/14, what good does it do to put yourself out there as a size 2/4, killing yourself to get there and knowing that there is no way possible that you can sustain it?? It's a classic bait and switch, no?

 

Bear also in mind that the shoe goes on the other foot...Bald guys, short guys, guys with small peckers, etc...There is plenty of insecurity to go around with guys...And add to the fact that the negative things guys face really have no recourse...There is no diet I know of that will grow hair, height or dick size..

 

Guys in general are far more accommodating to a women's body flaws, especially as they age...Most of the time, women are more hung up on it than the guys are...

 

TFY

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Threads like these, and articles in the media, TV shows, real-life conversations.....are exactly why women are so insecure about their bodies. To have the scrutiny, down to minute details, that we're put under on a daily basis confirmed is very anxiety-producing, disheartening, and degrading.

 

women are insecure about their bodies because other women make them so

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CautiouslyOptimistic
women are insecure about their bodies because other women make them so

 

I'm a woman and I've never experienced that, so it's not a universal fact....especially coming from a man. Also, this thread was not started by a woman, but a man.

 

I can't think of any threads here that were started to critique men's bodies.

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Also, this thread was not started by a woman, but a man.

 

I can't think of any threads here that were started to critique men's bodies.

 

I'm OP. So now I feel like I should say mea culpa. My intention was and is not to body shame. But it seems that a topic like the physical appeal of the body of the opposite sex too easily drifts to, if not body shaming, lifestyle shaming e.g. 'what's your problem that you don't exercise enough to look better?'

 

FWIW I wouldn't mind if the ladies critiqued me (sorry, no shirtless photos forthcoming - at least not this month) or men in general. After all most of 'us' could reduce our waists, too, and achieve some additional bulk and definition in the right places with proper exercise.

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women are insecure about their bodies because other women make them so

 

Likewise, I have never experienced this. Our thought processes are our own and nobody can *make* us feel a certain way unless we allow it.

 

I'm not insecure about my body. It's a perfectly serviceable 50yo body which does everything I need it to.

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FWIW I wouldn't mind if the ladies critiqued me (sorry, no shirtless photos forthcoming - at least not this month) or men in general. After all most of 'us' could reduce our waists, too, and achieve some additional bulk and definition in the right places with proper exercise.

 

I would never engage in this topic with a man - either partner or friend. Or another woman for that matter. Assuming that my partner's body is functional, it is of no consequence to me whether he's got muscles or love handles. What matters more is his attitude to life, love and everything else.

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I'm a woman and I've never experienced that, so it's not a universal fact....especially coming from a man. Also, this thread was not started by a woman, but a man.

 

I can't think of any threads here that were started to critique men's bodies.

 

The thing is, most real men dont care. My wife is very toned and muscular. She is a shade under 6 foot and weighs about 160 pounds but as I said heavily muscled. Hope she doesn't kill me for sharing this. I think she is very sexy. However, after having our little one she struggled to get the weight off. You know what? I thought she was even sexier with the extra weight. So I'm not sure where the pressure and drive to lose it came from. As that saying goes, women dress up for other women.

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CautiouslyOptimistic
As that saying goes, women dress up for other women.

 

Yet, again, this post was started by a man to discuss women's bodies. Women don't start threads like this, so......

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I forgot to address this:

 

'what's your problem that you don't exercise enough to look better?'

 

I found the answer to this in a book I'm currently reading. It's "The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F..." (Doing my best to quote a book title without being moderated)

 

All achievements in life require effort. But for one to get through all the effort to the result, they must love and embrace the pain and suffering to get there. There are a great many things that many people would like to be (the book gives the example of being a great guitarist in a rock band) but they don't want the thing enough to embrace the hard work to get there. Of course, the book describes it far better than I can.

 

In the case of gym, my husband and I are a good example. We both want to be fit. But he actually enjoys and embraces the pain of going for a long run. Me? I really, really dislike that pain. So I don't do it. I can tolerate the gym, but because I still don't actually like it, it's really hard to motivate myself.

 

So when someone can't understand why their partner won't go to the gym, I would have to ask if that person has themselves achieved every dream they've ever wanted. Because I bet they haven't and the underlying reason is that despite having a great goal, they weren't willing to put the effort in. Fitness is no different to any other goal.

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Yet, again, this post was started by a man to discuss women's bodies. Women don't start threads like this, so......

 

Not sure if that is relevant as it pertains to social pressure for thin women. It's only one thread that maybe 100 women have read.

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So I'm not sure where the pressure and drive to lose it came from. As that saying goes, women dress up for other women.

 

And the other saying goes "women dress up to get attention from men". I think it's men who surmise both these things about women.

 

As a woman, I would guess it's more about living up to the standards set by fashion media. In the 1920's it was a flat chest. In the 1930's we cut a more masculine line. In the 1950's it was hourglass and in the 1960's we had Twiggy. 1970's and 1980's we simply had healthy looking and these days it's 'gym fit'. Humans are driven to 'fit in'

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It's only one thread that maybe 100 women have read.

 

Whoa! Where did you find those stats? I didn't know we could access them

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losangelena
I was just reading a thread in another section where a guy was posting and was concerned that his 45 y/o gf's body did not turn him on. A couple of responses pretty much said that as people age they just can't keep their bodies appealing.

 

I'm 64. Today my self assessment is that I'm not as 'hot' as I've been at other times in my life. But in the interest of increasing my own physical appeal I'm 'working on it' (arms and abs are the parts that I think need work), making satisfactory progress, and I think I will be able to get to the point where all my parts are appealing.

 

But I'm less curious about my own body than the bodies of the women I've been meeting though OLD. I've met women from 55 to 68. Because most of the 'young ones' don't want an 'old' guy like me and I don't want a women too old to 'keep up with me' (on hikes, bike rides, the dance floor, and rock scrambles - I'm not worried about them keeping up in bed). So most of the women I've been meeting are in a slightly narrower age range between 58 and 63.

 

That's all context so far. My point is that these grandmothers have hot bodies. They all have waists and neither 'thunder thighs' nor huge butts. My biggest criticism is that some of them probably overdid the sun over the years and have a few more wrinkles. Physical appeal is built into my picker, but I am definitely being selective, not contacting women on OLD who either describe themselves as overweight or appear so in their photos.

 

So lots of 58-63s with what I'd call good bodies are out there. These women also have had children so the old saw about a pregnancy permanently messing with their bodies does not apply. They all are into exercise - yoga, pilates, aerobics, swimming, and/or sports like tennis. So what is keeping them hot? Their lifestyle? Genetics? A combination? And does this contradict, at least to an extent, the people who say that it is inevitable to lose the physical appeal of ones body as you age?

 

I'd say ... who the heck cares? There are women that age who are plenty large/fat/etc who have admiring partners who think they're plenty sexy. You've just happened to been with a string of them who are thin and to you're liking. You want a medal or something? Jesus, who cares? From observation, I'd say half have those genes, and half are still so mentally brainwashed by society that they fear gaining weight, as if gaining weight is the worse thing in the world. I pity people who feel that way. When I'm 60, I hope I don't give two craps.

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women are insecure about their bodies because other women make them so

 

I think a lot of women put pressure on themselves to look like the best looking women out there. They aren't trying to be their best but more what they see on TV or look the way the majority of males think makes a woman "hot". That's why all of this botox and plastic surgery exists these days. Everyone seems to be so vain.

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Not sure if that is relevant as it pertains to social pressure for thin women. It's only one thread that maybe 100 women have read.

 

There's also a lot of thin shaming of women who are naturally thin. They are told to eat more, gain some weight and other rude things that would never be allowed to say to an overweight person without an uproar. Sometimes people act as if thin people have no feelings at all.

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Whoa! Where did you find those stats? I didn't know we could access them

 

Says 166 views, I'm guessing about 100 are women.

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