Do most women post 40/45 yrs dislike their body?

[Existentialtimes]

I'm 54, post-menopausal. I'm not overweight, but despite working out a lot, I don't look particularly muscly. I have a little belly and a biggish bum because of all my glute work, and thighs that have cellulite and a little thick. I was overweight in my teens, hit my fitness stride at 29, lost tons of weight, looked my absolute best and thinnest in my thirties...and then had kids etc...

That's the background.

Today, I went to find a new swimming costume. Looking at a three way mirror in M&S, I could have cried. I just hated what I saw. I'd love to practise self-love but I just can't. I hate being so shallow. I want to be grateful that I'm fit and well, but Instead all i feel is self-loathing.

I'm nearly 72, 5'6", 12 stone with bits that wobble, I've never worked out in my life but have always been comfortable with the way I look. I had a boob removed 18 months ago and never use a prosthetic but I still wear bikinis (with granny pants now) and feel very relaxed - tbh nobody stares at other women's jiggly bits so please don't overthink it x

I'm feeling very happy with my 52 year old body this evening. It managed to achieve a wheel pose in my yoga class this evening from r the first time ever.

Women's bodies of that age are so underrepresented in the media, TV, movies etc. I think that's a big part of it. Plenty of male actors in their late 50s and 60s strutting round and still looking hot. We're conditioned to think of the female body as about 25 because that's what we see 90% of the time.

43 and hated my body most of my life. It's a million miles away from perfect, but it's mine, it grew my children. My husband seems to like it. I'm old enough to know life is too short to spend hating bits of myself.

Well I hated my body at 16, 18, 20s, 30s. Despite being a size 8 and lovely looking back.

I don't hate my body as much now because I reckon it's the only one I've got and I will never be younger than I am now.

Very happy! Having seen lots of older
people struggling with infirmity and sometimes it’s such a crappy day I think: ‘at least I can get up and go to the toilet whenever i want’ which is more than a good chunk of the population.
I have a great body, I tell it to go for a long walk, or climb a hill, or run for a bus and it does. Farah fawcett said something a
long the lines of how she had hated her legs, and punished them with work outs, but in the end she respected them for always doing what she asked of them and wished she hadn’t hated them so much.
In 20 years time you would give an awful lot to have this body back again.

God no. This is the age that, frankly, our peers start dying - and so I’m pretty happy my body is doing its thing. Accidents, friends with cancer, and witnessed some awful deaths amongst my parents generation. So am mostly thinking about keeping it healthy and moving into the next half of my life. Don’t give two shits what it looks like. Life is short, and what a privilege to get a bit wrinkly.

I’m 55 and love my body, it’s strong and healthy, I feel very lucky.

I'm 44 and am not happy with my body but know that for me it is in my control and I could easily fix it. I haven't yet hit metabolic problems so could start doing exercise and be happy, well if I could be bothered.

I’m 50 and a size 10, normal BMI but so self
critical. I’ve been much slimmer than I am now in my 30’s and more overweight. I now exercise at least 4 times a week (usually more) but my belly is rounded and I have awful cellulite on my legs. Even if I lose weight it just emphasizes the saggy skin on my belly.
However I need to accept that I’m not 20 anymore and those 3 way mirrors do no one any favours!

I’m 45 and I like my body everywhere except the M&S changing rooms. The lighting in there does something awful!!

So long as mine does its job, I honestly couldn't give a flying fig....after all I don't have to look at myself! Although I'd quite like it if the head hair would stop transplanting itself to my chin!

I feel the same as you.

Logically I'm glad I'm healthy. Logically I know the mirrors make it look worse. Logically I know my body is just a vessel. Etc etc.

But I still care and I still hate the way I look. I don't know what the answer is I don't think there is one

Yes, I'd be fine with my body if I had a supermodel's.
I'm not even overweight yet, but when I sit in a room with colleagues I always notice now that around 7 out of 10 are slimmer than me. It's partly an age thing, but it's annoying.

44+ bracket.
My legs and thighs are good. I'm slim, but my waist isn't as defined as it was. Always had a small pot belly. Boobs are slack now. They were once my best feature.
I stand up straight.
My skin looks old.
I look good in some mirrors and fat in others.

I'm 50. Don't hate my body. Legs ok. Tummy less than ok.

But f* me. I HATE my face. I look so old all of a sudden. Lips disappeared. Horrendous turkey neck. Jowls. Bloody awful. Have saved up for upper blepharoplasty and now saving for mini face lift so I can have both done together.

47. I've always been overweight, with tiny moments of achieving a healthy, fit body, always scuppered by compulsive eating.

I always kept it within about 20-30lbs overweight. And always been naturally reasonably strong, with lovely hair, skin, eyes and boobs. So tolerable.

Then perimenopause hit. Zero energy, anxiety, depression- cue massive comfort eating, muscle mass loss, losing half my hair thickness, and skin becoming tired..... I'm up a further twenty lbs, and while I know I need to regain my fitness, do strength training and get on a healthier diet, I have no engine inside me to do it. I feel very very old and fat in a body with very limited capacity right now. Just started hrt and deeply hope it will give my spirit enough relief to start to climb back out of the pit.

Well done OP, for looking after your body so much better. Just stay away from the bloody awful mirrors!

Honestly happy with it. Still about fitting into my trousers. I try to be kind to it, because I plan to keep it going for another 50 years.

Perhaps you have a critical eye! I can’t believe you look that bad.
I do do quite a bit of running and now do lighter weights as I get bottom heavy too, but Pilates was the thing that changed me the most. I do a few moves every morning, then 2 classes a week. I bloody love it too so it’s a pleasure to do.

I was just about to say the same thing!! I'm not a big fan of the way I look in the mirror, but OMG M&S changing rooms are the worst!

In my full length mirrors at home, I am gorgeous.

Strangely, in shop changing rooms mirrors, I’m considerably less than gorgeous.

Apart from Next. In there I’m 6 foot tall and about 8 stone. I need a Next mirror. 🤔

40s hate my body. But have done since having my 2nd dc onwards. I am starrting to tell myself, 4 pregnancy hectic life balancing work and kids blah blah . My body does well there are better looking bodies out there but also far worse.

I'll be 54 this week and my lofestyle seems a lot like yours. I actually love my body more than I ever have. Obviously it doesn't look as youthful as it did, but what it can do is pretty amazing.

I was slim in my late 30s. Now I'm overweight (47) and I do try and stay healthy. I eat well but I don't do much exercise.

I drink too much wine.

But I don't care.

My body is but a mere shell for the wonderful human being it holds inside 😂😂

I know I need to lose weight for my health, moving forward. But I couldn't bring myself to actively dislike my body. It's been through a lot and it's given me a lot.

The patriarchy has a lot to fucking answer for.

OP, I hated those mirrors even as a teen! They don't flatter anyone. It's mad that shop designers put them in like that.