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I definitely say that what we see as the truth are both correct, the reason being is because where we live.

The SF Bay Area, and Los Angeles (to the south) are about staying fit with a large portion of the population, so the cops here are not hefty on average. I don't see the stereotypical donut-eating fat cop here often. If I spent only a month in an office or a month in an outdoor occupation in California, then I could say I probably don't have info.

I have been in the working world for 35 years, inside and out, but I do admit it was in the context of health conscious Northern California. People are fit on average, into health food, and the fitter ones work outdoors, but our mild weather allows for lots of hours put outdoors.

Chicago, I assume has cold weather where outdoor workers cannot be out as much. Chicago, I assume, may not have the fitness craze thing going like California. I can't assume Chicago culture, but you shouldn't assume my 35 years of work experience in California, both in offices and in outdoor occupations. You can read all you want about California and figure out that fitness is huge here, but unless you live and work here for a long time, you just won't get it.

We are not even arguing on the same point.

You are talking about what you see in a different culture and climate than me.

Now come out here, live and work here for 35 years, both indoors and outdoors, before you even think of telling me what I am , where I live, or the culture that exists here. You have absolutely no idea what it is to live in health conscious California for three and a half decades, over even two and a half decades. I will even go on a limb and say you probably have not even lived here, in my state, for five years straight.

You are in shape, and that is great, but you are only either talking about your health or your city/state. California, living here long term, (try at least five years in LA or SF Bay area), has either a great (or weird) attention to physical health. I do say, however, that too many of us are into weird, untested remedies, and are new-age about our health to the point where too many of us don't trust doctors, against our better judgment.

The first thing you will notice when you come here are the cops, and the CHP in particular. They are not portrayed erroneously on CHiPs, the tv show. They really are that fit. OK, I can see you hopping in a plane to call my buff. ;)

Now as for Baywatch, yes the guards are very fit, but the Pam Anderson thing is a little Hollywood and that show was more appropriate for Victoria's Secret than as a completely accurate portrayal of California lifeguards. But I will bet you won't find any office jockeys in Chicago, as a group, that are more fit than our California lifeguards. If they are that fit, then we can use your help!

All I was saying is this:

Your claim that people who work in an office can't be fit is BS. Did you, or did you not claim that no amount of before or after work exercise could keep one fit?

Your claim that construction workers and cops are more fit than people who work in office environments is also bunk. All I did was react to your claim. You made blanket statements that I reacted to- that's all.

I'm a 42 year old office jock- have you seen my shirtless pics I've posted on this site? I would have no trouble going up against your lifeguards. There's a reason I get asked to do nude scenes in films. I can find you plenty more guys like me as well.
 
All I was saying is this:

Your claim that people who work in an office can't be fit is BS. Did you, or did you not claim that no amount of before or after work exercise could keep one fit?

Your claim that construction workers and cops are more fit than people who work in office environments is also bunk. All I did was react to your claim. You made blanket statements that I reacted to- that's all.

I'm a 42 year old office jock- have you seen my shirtless pics I've posted on this site? I would have no trouble going up against your lifeguards. There's a reason I get asked to do nude scenes in films. I can find you plenty more guys like me as well.

My comparison of office folk and outdoor folk is a California thing and observation. I just talked to a big city midwesterner (Detroit) in the past hour and he explained the cultural differences of California vs. a city like Detroit or Chicago.

He explained the inner city comfort food phenomenon most often found in a place like Chicago among outdoor workers, but also mentioned when it comes to fat cops, they are not here in California. He told me about how he saw most cops, let's say covering an event, simply be really fat, literally cop after cop. Truth be told, you can almost walk around anywhere anytime and not freeze your butt off in California. So if you are a beat cop, or construction worker (like all the thin ones outside my desk window right now) you won't get snowed out and put behind a desk. The aerobic activity of walking around, let's say as a beat cop, in a city like LA with 300 days a year of sunshine, is different than what would happen in Detroit or Chicago.

Yeah, you got the Budweiser crowd in the midwest, where as you may find the same nighttime crowd here going for green tea. People go to bars here, and order club soda and gladly pay three bucks for it. I see people drink beer, but more often prefer red wine for the "health benefits".

He pointed out the vastly different mindsets and that cleared up the differences. We are in the same country, but I do respect the possibility that one can work in an office, maybe put in only 4 to 5 hours of gym work, and still be in shape. We have people in California who put in that much work out time in a day (between swinging axes (I did that), and then putting in an irrigation ditch). One could burn 2000 calories doing that. When I stopped my line of work, and went indoors, college, and then office work, I gained 30 lbs. There is no gym on earth that will make me be like the person I was when I was out all day doing lawns, irrigation, tree work, and lifting a lot of soil and fertilizer. And when I drank beer or ate junk food, I didn't gain an ounce.
 
I turned 42 in June and I'm still waiting for my midlife crisis to kick-in. Then again, my life is far from "typical". Single, no kids, good job, many toys, great friends, having fun. I guess to many people my day-to-day life might be their mid-life crisis. But I'm one of those people with a sedentary life and it's really starting to show.
 
My comparison of office folk and outdoor folk is a California thing and observation. I just talked to a big city midwesterner (Detroit) i nthe past hour and he explained the cultural differences of California vs. a city like Detroit or Chicago.

He explained the inner city comfort food phenomenon most often found in a place like Chicago among outdoor workers, but also mentioned when it comes to fat cops, they are not here in California. Truth be told, you can almost walk around anywhere anytime and not freeze your butt off in California. So if you are a beat cop, or construction worker (like all the thin ones outside my desk window right now) you won't get snowed out and put behind a desk. The aerobic activity of walking around, let's say as a beat cop, in a city like LA with 300 days a year of sunshine, is different than what would happen in Detroit or Chicago.

Yeah, you got the Budweiser crowd in the midwest, where as you may find the same nighttime crowd here going for green tea. People go to bars here, and order club soda and gladly pay three bucks for it. I see people drink beer, but more often prefer red wine for the "health benefits".

He pointed out the vastly different mindsets and that cleared up the differences.

To be fair- people walk a lot here in the city, even in the cold. If you don't own a car it's absolutely necessary. People walk blocks and blocks every day to trains and buses. And the office crowd here is probably way more health conscious than cops, etc. It's just the way it works here. You'll find the same thing in NYC. I'd say the vast majority of people in both cities have gym memberships and go. I'm glad they do. :)

I do know what you're saying, I've been to LA enough times. ;) I've had more than my share of fun there. :)

And of course you can get back in shape. You don;t have to be an outdoor worker to do so. Methinks you're making excuses. ;)
 
To be fair- people walk a lot here in the city, even in the cold. If you don't own a car it's absolutely necessary. People walk blocks and blocks every day to trains and buses. And the office crowd here is probably way more health conscious than cops, etc. It's just the way it works here. You'll find the same thing in NYC. I'd say the vast majority of people in both cities have gym memberships and go. I'm glad they do. :)

I do know what you're saying, I've been to LA enough times. ;) I've had more than my share of fun there. :)

And of course you can get back in shape. You don;t have to be an outdoor worker to do so. Methinks you're making excuses. ;)

Hell yes I am making excuses. :)

Yes, I am older and yes, I can go to a gym...this is freakin California with a gym everywhere, even places you would not even think there are gyms such as in nudist colonies.

It was so easy with 20-25 years as a landscaper/tree guy to stay thin, but my age makes that too hard to do as a job so being a bookkeeper or accountant or system admin techie is less strain on the body.

So I have to make it up by going to gym, dancing, etc.

I admit I am lazy and yes I know there are guys older than me in their 50s who work out even with serious in.
 
Hell yes I am making excuses. :)

Yes, I am older and yes, I can go to a gym...this is freakin California with a gym everywhere, even places you would not even think there are gyms such as in nudist colonies.

It was so easy with 20-25 years as a landscaper/tree guy to stay thin, but my age makes that too hard to do as a job so being a bookkeeper or accountant or system admin techie is less strain on the body.

So I have to make it up by going to gym, dancing, etc.

I admit I am lazy and yes I know there are guys older than me in their 50s who work out even with serious in.

Hey- we've all got our priorities. If it's not that big of a deal to you, then don't worry about it.
 
I was kind of wild in my my younger days but I don't have many vices anymore. Basically healthy. No gray yet. Still fairly slim. So I have no right to complain, right? But . . . getting old is a pain!
 
I have two grey hairs and need glasses to read but apart from that I feel fine, not bad at 44 considering I'm usually mistaken for under 30. I can live with that. The looking young thing is genetic - mother is 70 and looks 50, grandfather was 88 when here died of old age which is a miracle as he smoked on average 3 packs of cigarettes and drank a bottle of scotch a day too.
 
I have two grey hairs and need glasses to read but apart from that I feel fine, not bad at 44 considering I'm usually mistaken for under 30. I can live with that. The looking young thing is genetic - mother is 70 and looks 50, grandfather was 88 when here died of old age which is a miracle as he smoked on average 3 packs of cigarettes and drank a bottle of scotch a day too.

Are you one of those "V" people? I know lee is since he doesn't age. ;)

The blond young girl is the daughter and the pretty brunette is the "mom", and president of the V people.
 

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I would give up all my beliefs and convictions for Monica. I would do whatever she told me :D

Please abduct me...
 
I turned 42 in June and I'm still waiting for my midlife crisis to kick-in. Then again, my life is far from "typical". Single, no kids, good job, many toys, great friends, having fun. I guess to many people my day-to-day life might be their mid-life crisis. But I'm one of those people with a sedentary life and it's really starting to show.

I hear you buddy, going the childless route has been one of the best ideas I ever got, although of course I needed to get snipped to make sure things went to plan. I sometimes feel guilty that life is comparatively easy. It's not for everyone, but most people who choose to do it don't regret the decision.

As for how midlife is affecting me, I don't feel 45 really, but I'm over "halfway" and when I'm with 20 year olds, I sometimes feel a bit sad and wish I could have lived my youth differently (more friends, girlfriends, less time alone and less wasted time failing at university).

As for the genetics thing - I agree 100%. Last year at the high school reunion, one woman looked a stunning 35, while the oldest looking guy looked about 50.
 
There comes a time in life when you just give up caring about "cool" anymore and just want to not dread taking (or not being able to take) a dump ;) Life is cruel.

As has been said all it takes is one medical issue to knock the attitude right out of someone who thinks they have it all figured out.

Losing your mind is a blessing if you have to stay alive that long...who would want to be aware.

Not as powerful as some diseases, injuries and other nasty things. But you will learn the hard way it seems.

OK, what is exactly up with you that you're wishing harm on me? What is the problem? Of course there are all kinds of things that can happen, I've been through some of them like I told you earlier. But I'll be damned if I'm gonna sit around whining about them. Life is too short.

Where did you get me wishing harm on you? I didnt say anything of the sort. Read it again. I was simply refuting that you have as much control over these things as you are stating. You made the comment that it can be good if you WANT it to be. That is incredibly naive and false. All the want in the world won't change many of the challenges of health or things that can happen. I am not sitting around whining about anything...just disagreeing with your declaration that it can be good simply if you WANT it.

Of the people I know who don't run and lift weights regularly nearly all have a medical/physical reason not to. I used to be one of those people who thought anyone who doesn't is just being lazy. It is one of those things you won't understand until you are there and then you will think "damn I shouldn't have been so smug". There comes a time in most all of our lives where just trying to eat decent and stretching etc is going to be the best you can do. Don't believe me? Just wait ;)

I would give up all my beliefs and convictions for Monica. I would do whatever she told me. Please abduct me...

It would appear that advancing in age and experiencing some illness along the way produces the view of life that the glass is always half empty. Oh, and a desire for alien abduction. :D

C'mon now cheer up harperjones99 and stop telling people to "just wait" until life takes a turn for the worse. As Lee pointed out above, life is not just about what happens to us, but how we respond to what happens to us. Of course it's not all going to go right, the true measure of a person is how they deal with adversity, not if they experience it.
 
I'm going to be 20 in 9 months. :(

5 months for me. Although I am still very young, life seems to be passing faster and faster to the point that it doesn't even seem natural anymore. When I was younger my parents used to tell me how life would go by so fast and enjoy it while I can I used to be like "yeah, whatever" then at about 15-16 I was like, "Man! They were right!." And now, it is just unbelievable. I feel as if it has been only WEEKS since I graduated and it was in May of 2008. It really is scary. To think, I have most likely lived about 1/3-1/4 of my life already...wow. I just hope my God doesn't come too soon! I have so much to live for/learn/ and experience!
 
C'mon now cheer up harperjones99 and stop telling people to "just wait" until life take a turn for the worse. As Lee pointed out above, life is not just about what happens to us, but how we respond to what happens to us. Of course it's not all going to go right, the true measure of a person is how they deal with adversity, not if they experience it.

Yep- now would also be a good time to mention that I will be having laser surgery for vericose veins in my legs in a few weeks (deemed medically necessary, I won't go into how painful they are). Trust me, that is going to be no fun. But I'll get through it. I'll be a bit less active for a few weeks, but I will get back to my usual self right away. I can't lift for a few weeks, but I can swim and walk. That'll be kind of nice for a little bit. I've dealt with the pain from these things for seven years, and it's now to the point where I have to get this done or suffer leg ulcers. You don't want to know what those are.
 
Will be turning 27 shortly, so far no problem had good education, nice job, and happy parents.
and a family of my own feels good
 
Oh- I'll be off work next week for the surgeries. I'm sure I'll be on here quite a bit. :)

Good luck with that procedure and as far as post count goes I don't mind reading what you have to offer.

For me, I have my left knee that just sort of aches. I think it's because at work I cross my legs and leave my right leg on the left or twist the left onto the right for hours at a time. Never injured it so I can't place blame there. I'm trying hard now to not twist that knee or put pressure on it.
 
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