I’m Younger Than That Now
When I first decided to get healthy – exercising more and eating right – my husband was a bit perturbed. He wasn’t too happy about how much time I spent at the gym, and he was even less enthused about the amount of snacks in the pantry.
“You trying to be forty is going to make me crazy,” he said.
“Just be glad I’m not trying to be twenty,” I said.
But he had the right idea.
I decided to go for forty-six. That way I might not drive him completely insane and I could still be dramatically younger.
And it worked. After seventeen pounds and lots of zumba-ing – I am forty-six again.
And when I got to about fifty-three, my husband joined me.
Not at the gym – I didn’t make him that nuts – but on the eating healthy side.
He actually went to a nutritionist and started eating only healthy foods.
And he got younger too.
I may have shed fifteen years. He shed forty pounds and twenty years.
Now he likes that I am forty-six, since he is now forty-seven.
He thinks we should shoot for thirty.
As I reported a few weeks ago, my husband sweetly suggested that I could wear a bikini. (Okay, he may not have had the purest of motives, but he certainly got a good deal of mileage out of that compliment.) (And I got new pearls.)
And yesterday, he surprised me again.
We went for a ride to Kent, Connecticut. Kent is a quaint little town with a remarkable chocolatier, Belgique. In keeping with our new healthy lifestyle, we each had two very tiny truffles and some excellent coffee.
As we sat in the sun with our small treat, he said he liked my hair. This is extraordinary. Over the last twenty years, he has learned not to mention my hair, in true fear of making me cry. But I have gone blonder in my rediscovered youth and added about three inches of length, so my hair now skims my shoulders for the first time in my life.
My husband likes blondes. He likes platinum blondes as a matter of fact. But he hates visible roots. So I never went blonde. However, now that my roots are gray, I can go much lighter without that detested root line. (See? There IS a benefit to being old.)
I thanked him for the compliment, and promised him a nice reward, of course. “I’m liking it too,” I said. “But I can’t go any longer at my age.” (I want to be a youthful forty-six; I don’t particularly want to look like Dolly Parton’s flat-chested, albeit younger, sister.)
“Yes you can,” my husband said. “You can go a little longer.”
And here was the surprise.
He said, “If your hair was a little longer you could put it in a cute ponytail.”
A PONYTAIL?
He’s going for TWENTY!
- Posted in: Aging ♦ Beauty ♦ Fashion ♦ Humor ♦ Marriage ♦ Style
- Tagged: Aging, beauty, exercise, Hair, healthy living, Humor, looking young, Losing weight, Marriage, middle-aged, Style
notquiteold 
Wonderful! That hubby of yours seems to be getting better as he gets younger. I love that you are getting/being healthy together. I think the hardest part of any health regimen is not having your other half participating but, you can’t force them. It has to be their idea. Mine has started joining me on occasion for my walk. Not often and not far but hey, baby steps…baby steps.
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We call our diet program, “Fear of Death”.
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Love this diet program name LOL! I’m on the same one.
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I think I’m going to join your routine too. Nothing in my body hurt at 46!
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I can’t say my body doesn’t hurt. But because I look better, I can pretend that it doesn’t.
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that would work for me!
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They are always going for twenty! 🙂
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Ah, True! But he used to just look at twenty from afar.
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How I love your blog! Now I am inspired to find a nutritionist. Not sure about zumba though. 56 would be a good number. Your illustration is priceless too.
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Thanks, Dor.
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Go for the ponytail! They have wonderful scrunchies!
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I should have added a scrunchie to the drawing! Or a big pink bow!
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My husband seems to get younger without even trying. I, on the other hand, diet and exercise until I could scream, to no avail. I know I’m doing something wrong, but don’t have the energy to try any harder right now. I just wish he’d age and catch up with me!
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Men always seem achieve their goals a lot more easily. I’ve worked my ass off. He says it was harder for him because he wanted candy a lot more. I have to agree – he was an emotional wreck there for a while.
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Congratulations on your new youthful look and feeling! It is amazing how exercise and good food and lots of water can transform us and give us energy and a zest for life.
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Truly. I joke about it, but I feel better than I have in many years.
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So sweet! 🙂
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Congratulations on discovering a healthier lifestyle. As someone who worked in the fitness industry for a very long time, it was always my job to make fitness fun for others. Glad you found Zumba. It is a blast. And that is really the key to continuing…find something you actually enjoy (and that gets you moving) and do it. Diet and exercise are equally important. And it makes such a difference in how you look and feel. Also, don’t be afraid to push yourself physically. You will see even more results. Your body is strong and can handle more than you think it can!
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True! I love Zumba! I can’t wait for Zumba days. And I’ve been practicing yoga for eleven years. My yoga teacher tells me the same thing you did – that I am stronger than I think I am.
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I love this. You guys have such a sweet marriage.
~FringeGirl
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I’m so happy that you’ve both found the Fountain of Youth!
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As long as I don’t start menstruating again. ..
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Oh, AMEN to that.
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i think your hubby knows what he wants for christmas. ;o) besides the cute blonde with the ponytail – which would be you!
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My husband likes blondes too. Too bad: the closest I’ll ever get to blonde is a few highlights once in awhile. Love your humor!
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So happy that your results are paying off and you are feeling good and looking great to boot. Like Dianna said, love your humor, it’s infectious!
MJ
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This math is going to kill me. So, if I’m 43 about to turn 44, and I dye my hair blonde and put it in a ponytail, how old will I be? What if I dye Wonderbutt blonde, and give him a pony tail?
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You will be 33, going on 32. If you dye Wonderbutte blonde, he will look 13 (in dog years) and a little like Rosemary Clooney.
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LOL! Poor Rosemary Clooney.
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Wonderful you are both going the healthy route and hubby got on the bandwagon because he KNEW he’d miss out with your getting to 46 again. Love your comment ‘ so long as you don’t start menstrating again’. What a hoot. Ha ha.
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Very inspiring, I enjoyed reading this post. 🙂
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This IS inspiring! You look great, sound enthusiastic and pleased with your life. Good for you!
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How funny! I never thought of aiming for a particular age. So, hmm, aren’t you allowed to have long hair at 40 something? I”m 49 and mine is WAY past shoulder length.
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