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As I suspect alot of the forum are middle aged blokes I thought it would be good to share my experiences of making positive life style changes after years of bodily abuse, and the clear benefits they can bring
Congatulations tpbiker! As a former caner who was on everything except roller skates until about 31 I’m glad you’ve come through the other side. Sadly not everyone does,I thoroughly enjoyed my off the Barnet years but am glad it’s all over now, less booze more biking mate it’s always a work in progress as no one’s perfect.
Fair play! Great to see a positive message. Have turned my health around in a similar fashion. It took many years to quit cigs, booze and sort my diet out, but it's now stuck. I found that the most effective means of eliciting sustainable change is having a positive goal. For example, an event, mileage, or adventure. If driven by fear or circumstance, you just beat yourself up everytime you fall short. I know I did many a time.
Brain health is the next frontier as we start to live longer and the lifestyle choices have long-term effects and influence on our brain health in advanced years.
I wont argue that some damage will be irreversible, and not leading a healthy life from a young age absolutely increases your risk of heart disease and cancer. I guess the point of the post was that it's never to late to make positive changes to reduce, if not entirely eliminate your risk
Out of interest TP are you still on statins, as I wonder how much work they do compared to improved diet...
Out of interest TP are you still on statins, as I wonder how much work they do compared to improved diet...
Loads basically. Diet and exercise are really important, but so are the benefits of statins and anti hypertension medications.
If you’re eligible for them, take them. The benefits of diet and exercise are a bonus on top of the effects of medication, not a replacement.
Without statins, after I changed my diet my bad cholesterol was 1.6, which is very good. With the lowest statin possible on top, my number was 0.8.
Tbh the doc thought the 0.8 was an error it was so low. Basically my aim was to be under 1.8. Without statins that required watching everything I eat. With a statin my diet is now far less restrictive and I can still hit that number
I'm keeping on them. Not only do they lower cholesterol and plaque build up, but they also stabilise existing plaque. You don't need to have a large blockage to be at risk of a heart attack, all you need is a smallish plaque to rupture. And 50% of folks have detectable plaques by the time they are 40..
Interesting. Well done on kicking habits TP.
If you’re eligible for them, take them.
@kramer, that sounds positive, I might be put on statins due to a recent blood clot complication and risk of hereditary heart disease. I was concerned about the side effects. Are they that beneficial overall?
Statin side effects are massively overstated and mostly the nocebo effect.
You may develop a cough, but I've no idea if there are side effects or not other than that. I got put on them at 25 as they were seen as a sensible thing for a diabetic to take to help reduce the risk of complications later on in life...
I've no doubt they help, but being so long on them, I've absolutely no idea what it is or if the improvement has dwindled or grown better.
Quitting smoking was the best thing I did in early middle age. Took a lot of time of my PFA run time and allowed me to get a lot better at the gym. Despite it being nearly 20 years after I quite, I still feel it has put me in a better place with cycling.
Now, if only I could stop the weight gain from my depression meds. Then maybe my inner voice will stop screaming at me that I am getting fat...
I quit smoking properly in 2020, I used to smoke 20 a day until about 2015, and then cut down to being a "social smoker" so was still smoking when I went out for a drink so maybe once or twice a week, but I could still smoke a packet of 20 in one night out. So in 2020 I decided I wanted to knock that on the head so decided to not drink for a month or two, then covid happened and with all the shutdowns that month stretched to 6 months and really helped me (covid really had a silver lining for me, but I almost feel guilty for it due to there being so much loss for others). I really never got back into the habit of having a weekly drink after the covid shutdowns either, which has helped my energy levels at weekend.
Getting diagnosed with sleep apnea and getting a cpap has made a big difference to me as well. And over the past couple of years I have been making a big effort to improve my "sleep habits" in general. Getting my blinds to automatically close at 20:30 in the summer, having low amber and redish lighting scenes in the evening, trying to control the temperature in my bedroom as much as possible and recently trying to control the co2 levels in my apartment. I even recently bough some air purifiers, which does leave me feeling far less blocked up so I am now trying to train myself to breath through my nose much more, which is apparently more healthy and not something I have been able to do for most of my life.
What I am finding is that with these bad habits gone, and improving my sleeping it then becomes easier to make good decisions about other aspects of health and wellbeing, diet and exercise.
I don't have any big illusions about extending my life expectancy, but I do want to be as healthy as possible to enjoy what years I do have left (I am 55 now).
High cholesterols a funny one , I went on statins when i was possibly at the healthiest/fittest point ever in my life.
Daddy DoD had an unexpected triple heart bypass and I was basically advised by the hospital to go the doctors and get tested, and bingo hereditary high cholesterol.
I don't have any big illusions about extending my life expectancy, but I do want to be as healthy as possible to enjoy what years I do have left (I am 55 now).
My plans to live forever and be unpleasantly surprised if I don’t 🙂
Re statin side affects. Spoke to my brother about this who is a professor of clinical medicine basically specialising in stuff like this and he absolutely concurs with kramer that statin side effects are overstated and often there is a placebo affect.
That said my blood sugar has crept up over the past few years, which may be down to statins, or covid (more likely), or maybe just old age
I was told to keep the dose as low as possible. 80 mg of statin (the max dose) doesn't have 8 x the impact on your cholesterol as 10mg.
My plans to live forever and be unpleasantly surprised if I don’t 🙂
Same plan here, it's working very well so far....😁
Anyone with experience of doing the opposite?
I've not lived like a monk to my mid-fifties, but with people around me dropping unexpectedly to late diagnosis cancer / heart issues and with aging parent / in-laws / elderly friends I'm beginning to think about dropping out and becoming a hedonist to make the most of the next few years.
Only slightly joking - maybe a bubbling-under midlife crisis.....
A couple of blokes I work with slightly younger than me could do with reading this, but I don't think they'd take any notice. One continues smoking despite being in remission from throat cancer, the other says he's never giving up drinking (7+ tinnnies every weekday evening) nor ever stopping smoking.
I'll be 50 soon. More into exercise than ever. Glad to have given up smoking. Never particularly enjoyed booze, beyond a couple of drinks, makes me feel ill more than anything.
I've not lived like a monk to my mid-fifties, but with people around me dropping unexpectedly to late diagnosis cancer / heart issues and with aging parent / in-laws / elderly friends I'm beginning to think about dropping out and becoming a hedonist to make the most of the next few years.
My parents seem to be taking that view. Fairly recently to be seen drinking heavily on some cricket tour or other, out drinking the youngsters.
My 30s were terrible, I have to admit following in my parents footsteps. Sorted myself out through my 40s. At 44 I was probably at my fittest.
My 50s so far, I’ve been pretty well behaved. Still like a beer though.
If I reach my parents age, I’ll probably get on it again 🤣
Personally I’m bit annoyed that despite fairly good diet, very modest alcohol consumption, none of the bad stuff m’kay and lifelong addiction to sports I am still bit overweight and on statins and blood pressure medication. And my knees, back and just about every joint of my body is worn or achy.
Should have partied more.
Now, if only I could stop the weight gain from my depression meds. Then maybe my inner voice will stop screaming at me that I am getting fat...
I hear you.
I need to make peace with my inner teenager. I don't know how to yet, but I need to. It hates that I am getting old, is very rude about my lifestyle choices and wants to get drunk all the time like I did back in the '90s. Skydiving quietens it for a while, but this is winter and there is none of that.
Anyone with experience of doing the opposite?
I've not lived like a monk to my mid-fifties, but with people around me dropping unexpectedly to late diagnosis cancer / heart issues and with aging parent / in-laws / elderly friends I'm beginning to think about dropping out and becoming a hedonist to make the most of the next few years.
Only slightly joking - maybe a bubbling-under midlife crisis.....
A friend and I have a running joke that we'll live a generally good clean life so that we can have a healthy, happy old age. Then when we turn 80 start taking smack - because why not? What have we got to loose? Our health? Job? Teeth? Seems like the perfect time to get on the high horse. 🙂
I have an NHS health check coming up and am thinking I'll probably go for the statins this time, if I'm still borderline on cholesterol and they are suggested.
At 51, I feel like I'm getting the supposed side effects anyway (decreasing athletic performance), so what have I got to lose?
Well done on knocking the gak on the head and getting more healthy OP.
late 50's here and always lived a moderately healthy lifestyle. After a few chest pains on a bike trip in 2019 I saw a cardiologist and scans indicated 35% blockages so was put on statins, BP meds and aspirin. I do have a family history of heart disease on my dad's side.
The BP meds have since been reduced to min dose, and after over 5 yrs of statins I have no idea if i have any side effects. Achy bones and muscles may just be part of being 59 !
I was surprised to read in the OP about the arteries clearing up, my understanding was that statins lowering cholesterol would reduce the worsening, but couldn't reduce the actual % amount of blockages ?
I haven't attempted to get a reckeck via coronary CT scan, I perhaps could through work private health cover ? I have had a couple of wired up treadmill tests with NHS over the past 5 years and all have been fine and cardiologist (NHS) not concerned at all.
I work on the assumption that I have a bit of coronary heart disease that I will have for life, that I will be on meds for life and that I need to keep my riding to HR sweet spot for a bit of caution.
late 50's here and always lived a moderately healthy lifestyle. After a few chest pains on a bike trip in 2019 I saw a cardiologist and scans indicated 35% blockages so was put on statins, BP meds and aspirin. I do have a family history of heart disease on my dad's side.
The BP meds have since been reduced to min dose, and after over 5 yrs of statins I have no idea if i have any side effects. Achy bones and muscles may just be part of being 59 !
I was surprised to read in the OP about the arteries clearing up, my understanding was that statins lowering cholesterol would reduce the worsening, but couldn't reduce the actual % amount of blockages ?
I haven't attempted to get a reckeck via coronary CT scan, I perhaps could through work private health cover ? I have had a couple of wired up treadmill tests with NHS over the past 5 years and all have been fine and cardiologist (NHS) not concerned at all. Annual bloods have the bad cholesterol at 1.5 which is ok.
I work on the assumption that I have a bit of coronary heart disease that I will have for life, that I will be on meds for life and that I need to keep my riding to HR sweet spot for a bit of caution.
In my mid 20's I was probably knocking back 70 units of alcohol a week, plus a few spliffs. E's maybe once or twice a month (which was better than the 'every week' stage of my uni years). At least I never smoked straight fags.
This all just gradually trailed off until in my late 30s I was under 14 units a week of booze, and it had been a decade since my last spliff, with pills being maybe once every 3 years. I was reasonably fit, and probably the healthiest I had ever been.
And then soon after my 40th birthday, COVID hit me and I've never recovered. I now have no booze, no sugar, no caffeine, no UPFs, very low starchy foods and am currently off dairy too. Daily yoga, 10-12 hours a day in bed, I have the lifestyle of a monk (who has chronic fatigue)
So I'm glad I did my partying when I could, and I am careful to still the quiet inner voice that asks if I had just been healthier in my youth, perhaps this would never have happened...
Early 60s & family have history of high cholesterol, so been on statins a while, apart from vivid dreams when I started on them & if I forget to take them, I don't feel any side effects. Drank and smoked socially in my 20s & 30s but always been pretty active, keep meaning to get a thorough health check but not got round to it - think I'm putting it off until my fitness is up & my weight down...
For me biggest thing is not working nights anymore. It means I can eat regular and can eat sensible meals, I also eat for less things like chocolate, sweets and crisps to try to get me through the shift (because I’m retired). Then I also reduced my alcoholic consumption dramatically, I still have days where I will drink a rather large amount but these are usually on planned days out or special occasions.
statin side effects are overstated and often there is a placebo affect.
Lots of science showing statins causing fatigue and not just a placebo effect. e.g. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4285455/
Interestingly, looking at published trials on statins, researchers found that the trials funded by the pharmaceutical industry were twenty times more likely to give favourable results than independent trials https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17550302/
There was one study (can't find the ref) that purported to show very low side effects from statins, but it was largely discredited after most of the authors admitted to previously undisclosed conflicts of interest.
My mates dad is about 80 ISH now. Took up fags and booze again last year, he's enjoying himself and has seen too many friends dribbling in chairs going gaga. If he sparks out now he's at peace with it all. Nice situation to be in I'd say. May do the same if I get to that age.
After 30 years of drinking and nonsense I am hoping that knocking it all on the head gives me another 30 years of healthy life. When I look back at the abuse I have given my body I am not sure how it's doing so well.
Statin side effects are massively overstated and mostly the nocebo effect.
When statins are prescribed is family history of heart disease and stroke relevant, or taken into account?
54 here. Quit smoking 30 years ago. Quit drinking nearly 2 years ago. Quit eating anything plant based a year ago.
I eat nothing but beef and eggs now, mostly as 2 meals a day but get them both in within a 7-8 hour window, so I fast for 16-17 hours a day.
Rarely feel hungry, never hangry. Hardly ever fart. Poo about once every two days. Never get wind or indigestion.
I really enjoy this woe and plan to continue. If I develop heart problems then so be it. I live for each day anyway.
When I read what OP had written i immediately thought it was one of my mates, he had a very similar lifestyle apart from coke. He was never hedonistic, but smoked lots, drank a fair amount, and liked a fry up.
It all went horribly wrong for him late 40’s with a stroke that nearly killed him. If that wasn’t enough, he then died and wouldn’t be here apart from a lady giving him CPR
So now life is ‘interesting’ . He has cut back but not stopped on all of the above. He rides a bike but has to go slowly
Is he wrong to keep smoking, drinking etc etc? Dunno I guess the damage is already done, so he may as well enjoy what he has left even if that’s 5 yrs or 30 yrs?