Does your body change every 7 years?

[W-D Forties]

I'm not really thinking of weight gain or loss, that can be very temporary. I'm thinking of more major changes.

[Red Diabla]

Supposedly one's metabolism changes every seven years. I don't know if that's true. I do know that the past year and a half has seen me gain more weight than I'd like. I'm blaming the constant barrage of bagels available at work, so I'm going to stay away from them for awhile and see if my weight goes back down to a more comfortable range as quickly as it used to do.

My skin is still its oily self, though I get less acne than I used to. I still feel strong, but I wonder if I'm as strong as I was seven years ago. I'm more susceptible to colds/flus going around, so I get a flu shot every year. My night vision is going downhill, but that's probably due to general age anyway(I'm in my early forties).

I think for women the biggest changes is when they start and stop menstruating. The hormonal effects on the body in those cases are remarkable.

RD

[rue]

The only thing that happened to me that changed everything was having kids. I had my son at 20 and had a cesarean..... not too much difference except a scar. I had my daughter at 25 with another cesarean and well.... now that I look at her I swear she stole my body. I told her I wanted it back, but she said no.... the ingrate

[Esme]

I have heard that - about every cell renewing in 7 years time. Or rather, what I recall, is that 7 years is the longest it can take for any cell to renew and replace itself. In other words, some cells renew often, like top layers of skin, etc, while other can take up to 7 years. Man, it's like midnight o'thirty here and that probably doesn't make any sense.
Anywho - I believe it or I want to!
It's been 8 years this last spring since I left the no good "starter" husband (after 25 years and 2 kids) and 6 since I remarried. That means I'm a whole new person, right?

[W-D Forties]

The only thing that happened to me that changed everything was having kids. I had my son at 20 and had a cesarean..... not too much difference except a scar. I had my daughter at 25 with another cesarean and well.... now that I look at her I swear she stole my body. I told her I wanted it back, but she said no.... the ingrate

Iv'e also had 2 cesaerians - my belly now looks like one of the expensive soft leather clutchbags where the top folds over!

I have just gone for some blood tests to see if it is just one of these 7 year things or something else entirely that has made me feel as if my real body is lying by my bed in a pod.

[Land-O-LakesGal]

Iv'e also had 2 cesaerians - my belly now looks like one of the expensive soft leather clutchbags where the top folds over!

I have just gone for some blood tests to see if it is just one of these 7 year things or something else entirely that has made me feel as if my real body is lying by my bed in a pod.

For me I think having children caused big changes in metabolism and I had mine naturally 6 years apart and I remember with the first one a nurse at the hospital told me most women put on an extra fifteen pounds per child that they can't seem to get rid of and I would say that was the case with the first but the second I have gained more that I struggle to get off. But I would say I think a big turning point in everything for me is turning 40 I notice many of the same symptoms that WD forties mentions, dry skin that breaks out, stranger textures in my hair, and it seems almost impossible to lose weight ( I have managed to get rid of 10 pounds since last year on weight watches but can't seem to get it down anymore). So perhaps 40 and 50 are keys to aging as well although I am sure much of this has to do with genetics.

[sheeplady]

The one thing that I have to mention, is that any lady have her thyroid levels checked as part of a regular checkup. There is some debate if the normal range levels are actually incorrect, as some women with borderline normal levels have symptoms. Fortunately, symptoms from borderline levels can often be treated successfully with alternative therapies (or even helped with traditional treatments).

Many women have low levels, and don't even know it. Hypothyroidism runs in my family, and I've had many family members who assumed their problems were due to aging, when it was actually that they were quite ill and their problems were helped through treatment.

The symptoms include dry hair, dry skin, problems losing weight, depression, and weakness. It's a simple blood test, I get one done every 3 years as part of my wellness checkup. I'd also recommend a B-vitamin level test for anyone who lives in low sunshine areas, as low B vitamin levels can have similar symptoms.

[W-D Forties]

Thanks sheeplady, my doctor is checking on thyroid levels as part of my blood test (along with hormone levels, anaemia, etc). She doesn't think anything will show up, which would be fine, but I'd rather know.

It very unfair that your body changes soooo much after 40 as in other ways I feel (and possibly look) better than I did in my 20's!