To wonder what's happening to my friends?

[Tex111]

In the last few years:

One friend has admitted he's an alcoholic and totally cut out the booze. Wonderful news and good for him. Unfortunately at the same time he's discovered religion, started condemning everyone around him and posting scripture on FB. In the past he was fun, hilarious and cheeky. Now he criticises people for swearing.

Another friend used to love his roll-ups and a pint. He's now Buddhist, has completely given up smoking (good) and all alcohol and become very pious and uptight.

Since having children a former fun loving friend has become maniacal about 'screen time' and organic veg boxes. When they visit she tuts at the processed snacks my children sometimes eat (biscuits) and asks if everything is organic (nope).

Countless friends who are training for marathons, triathlons and cutting out gluten/lactose/etc or have suddenly become vegetarian/vegan/macrobiotic/a pain to cook for.

What's happening?? All of these people are in their 40s and these changes seem to go against their personalities. Is it a middle age thing? I'm 43. Has it just not kicked in with me yet? I can understand improving health by stopping smoking, increasing exercise or cutting out alcohol totally (in the case of the alcoholic) but I don't get the judgey, sanctimonious intensity of their attitudes. These were all fun, laid back people. Are they going through a phase and will come out the other side their old, lovely selves or should I be examining my silly, sluttish ways and signing up for a marathon & veg box?

I started doing this in my 40s - cycling, yoga, vegetarian food, book group, making deliberate effort to do stuff.

It was partly a reaction to my MIL dying (horribly) from cancer over 18 months which filled me with absolute rage and a determination not to put things off any more. Suddenly I had time free to do things and I wanted to fill it.

Unfortunately for some of us, with age comes an intolerance of wine. Every now and then I think, "I'll have a glass (or three) and sod the consequences". When I'm awake the next morning at 4am taking migraine meds I do wonder if it is pay back time for my 20s. The days when some alka seltzer fixed anything rapidly!

O know wowfudge...

I feel your pain Kategod. My DH has taken up marathon running, given up alcohol, caffeine and informed me yesterday he was giving up sugar. He gives me helpful advice on diet and exercise. While the new improved body is fab its a bit fucking dull!!!

It's funny, I preferred DH with a bit more meat on him. This new lean body is a bit too thin and boyish for me.

Anyone else bombarded with MapMyRun updates? Sooo boring. Good for you. If you love it then go for it but the absence of any other topic of conversation is just too much.

MapMyRun, MyFitnessPal et al. Great you went for a run, here have a medal!

Yes, DH is all skin and bone now - it's really weird! I think part of his problem is that he's surrounded by blokes who are mostly quite a bit younger than him and quite a few of those are really health-obsessed so he's obviously been infected. Fair play to DH for wanting to get into shape but if I have to listen to one more critique of other people's running styles, or hear one more diatribe against eating carbs in the evening, I'm running off with a fat man. And I hate those MapMyRun updates!

lol at running off with a fat man!

am plotting my escape with Adam Richman myself…I think we would have fun

Love Adam Richman but he's lost tons of weight recently. I wonder how he'll do all those eating challenges now. Another good fat man bites the dust.

noooooo

I always imagined we'd eat juicy burgers and then have a real laugh in bed.

or something

ahem

just googled him and it says he lost weight as he had a non existent love life.

don't get that at all…

I just don't like skinny men.

DH hit 40, and quit drinking and has lost 2 stone. boo

The only running I do is in video games.

I'm okay with this.

Loving this thread. Recognise so many of my friends in this behaviour.

For once I'm ahead of the curve, I quit booze, went vegan and found religion in my teens. I don't push it on other people though. I wonder what's left to do in my 40s!

I'm only just getting in to exercise though.

I've "dabbled" in Buddhism for years, the only downside is that you don't understand the crappy, non existent problems/shit that others come out with.

Research shows that this is the best way to combat stress/worry/mild depression.

I've gone Vegan, again, in my 40's.

My energy levels have gone through the roof.

My Neice, who needs a lot of support, had a baby and I wanted to be able to offer that support.

I also looked at people my age and slightly older and decided that I didn't want to be as "old" as them.

I take my Great Nephew to Children Centers etc and I move the same way as the parents years younger.

Every bit of research shows that lifestyle is the biggest factor in aging, illness and even some Cancers.

My aim is to keep my body working as well as it can, for as long as it can.

Which will become the norm for anyone that has to work into their 70's and look after Grand Children etc and their ageing parents, which is the norm in my friendship group.

OMG!!!! I've run three half marathons and get a friut and vege box too!! I'm a statistic

Another one pleading guilty here - I'm nearly 40 and I've done 4 half marathons / triathlons in the last 3 years! I was always fairly sporty (though not a runner), so I wouldn't say it's massively out of character.

For me, it's been about emerging from the baby haze (I had 3 under 4) and trying to find something for me that was compatible with DC (ie didn't involve going out and getting pissed).

I try not to go on about it on Facebook however. I realise that is tedious in the extreme.

lauriefairycake am madly jealous you have a Tiger shop , my wardrobe is still bulging from all the lovely stuff i bought there in Brighton.

Well, I describe myself as a late developer, having had my first child qt 27, my last at 39 and started uni at 46, so I am probably safe to say that this won't happen to me until at least age 60.

Pass the , I am still sober and that won't do!

I'm amazed we're not seeing articles about this. Some journalist/author needs to get in gear and cash in with a book on The New Midlife Crisis.

Bagsie!

Actually I think Kate Spicer in the ST has done a few of these, but yes it is all around me/us. DH gave me a whole high handed spiel about giving up booze for Lent. Managed two weekends before having a v frank chat with him along the lines of "good luck sonny, yer on yer own - life's too short". We've had some mentions about Tough Mudders too. Looks daft, I mean what the actual fuck? There is a part where you run through electric shocks. I'd love to have heard what my nana would've said to him

Arghhhhh! The Tough Mudder adverts are invading Mumsnet.