Getting away from it all - Deep in the male menopause..

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Boac
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Re: Getting away from it all - Deep in the male menopause..

#41 Post by Boac » Sat Jan 18, 2020 5:58 pm

Is the Chump a gerontophile?

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Re: Getting away from it all - Deep in the male menopause..

#42 Post by John Hill » Sat Jan 18, 2020 7:05 pm

I 'retired' when I left school and have never done a real day's work since! :D
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Re: Getting away from it all - Deep in the male menopause..

#43 Post by reddo » Sat Jan 18, 2020 8:29 pm

Male menopause is a thing, however, it's probably not as well defined as "our" menopause. It's more psychological but there is a shift in hormones. The psychological thing is simply the realisation that several decades have passed and if he hadn't achieved what he had planned to do, it's possibly too late. This adjustment can take time and sometimes some men do things that they will rue in their dotage....
Good luck :D

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Re: Getting away from it all - Deep in the male menopause..

#44 Post by Hydromet » Sat Jan 18, 2020 10:02 pm

gerontophile
Sounds more up-market than "granny grinder" I suppose.

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Re: Getting away from it all - Deep in the male menopause..

#45 Post by G-CPTN » Sat Jan 18, 2020 10:13 pm

Three decade ago I experienced a major medical event which could have terminated my existence.
Major surgery and a long recuperation saved me, though I never returned to work.
To an extent, losing the necessity to get up for work allowed me to overcome the psychological pressure.
I had lived a busy working life with extensive travel, so I had largely 'been there and seen that' so I don't have the need that some retirees have to embark on tours.
Before I reached my three-score-years and ten I had procreated, my offspring had established themselves independently and had, themselves procreated successfully, therefore I reckoned that I had achieved my purpose in life and was entitled to a life of leisure - though I occupy myself with 'volunteering' (Parish Council, Village Trust, Dementia Care, weekly River Conservation tasks, local Railway promotion, Railway Station improvement, running two annual village 'fairs', local Library support) as well as attending planning meetings, church music performances and the occasional cinema visit, one annual works reunion, one annual equestrian event (the Highland Show where my daughter exhibits Clydesdale horses) and two annual motoring events where I act as photographer and a couple of airshows (this year was RIAT, previously Farnborough as well as Sunderland International each year).
I have no time (or need) for 'holidays' apart from visits to my children at opposite ends of the country.
I make full use of my free bus pass (an average of five times a week) and support a community cafe that provides opportunities for social dropouts to recover their self-esteem by employing them.
I also clothe myself generously from charity shops (of which my nearby town has a surfeit).

A constant passive activity is listening to classical music on the radio - reliving the spectrum of music in which I was involved in my younger days.

I get my exercise by walking every day so I am not sitting at home vegetating and losing muscle strength.

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Re: Getting away from it all - Deep in the male menopause..

#46 Post by Slasher » Sun Jan 19, 2020 1:10 am

reddo wrote:
Sat Jan 18, 2020 8:29 pm
Male menopause is a thing,
Reddo I thought that was mainly associated with losers - those who had the power to be anything they wanted to be, but thought ‘ah bugger it...it’s too much like hard work. So I’ll just settle for a job I sorta like that isn’t too difficult to achieve and leave it at that.’

Admittedly I’m still on the sunny side of 60 and have no sense of underachieving anything. Couple of regrets yeh but nothing I’d get menopausal about.

I know of guys older than me who’ve fully retired and end up so bloody bored out of their skulls that they stick their noses into everything that they previously just didn’t give a sh!t about and never will. Maybe it gives ‘em a psychological feeling of ‘I’m still useful and interesting to talk to’. Could that be a sign of this male menopause thing? With the availability of the internet and search engines nowadays it’s all they ever do. Christ I hope I never end up like that.

Anyway the shift in hormones thing you said is a bit disconcerting. What age does that usually start at? From what I know it comes back ultimately to diet and exercise commensurate with a bloke's age, i.e. enhancement and promotion of testosterone which can be achieved naturally.

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Re: Getting away from it all - Deep in the male menopause..

#47 Post by Hydromet » Sun Jan 19, 2020 2:46 am

Recently met up with a group of colleagues, all retired for at least a few years. We seemed to fall into two groups - those who had kept busy and those who spent most of their time doing nothing but drinking. those of us in the former group were in decidedly better shape. The oldest in our group, 85, swims daily and pays golf regularly. He reckons he doesn't have many Christmases left, but he's going to enjoy life while he can.

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Re: Getting away from it all - Deep in the male menopause..

#48 Post by boing » Sun Jan 19, 2020 2:48 am

I consider myself one of the lucky ones.

Started two businesses just before retirement on the basis that at least one would fail, both succeeded so now I am busy busy. I don't mind since the alternatives would have been golf, buying an aircraft or some other such activity so I don't mind the new experience. It is actually tremendous fun applying CRM to the employees who are amazed the boss doesn't dump on them all the time and he gets down and dirty when the work needs to be done. My extremely efficient assistant is a very attractive middle-aged lady, unfortunately from California so she wraps up in winter to avoid the cold but I can't wait for summer again when she likes to get as much of our rare Oregon sunshine as she can all over.

After a while I felt I was going to seed so I decided to do something about it. My wife was going to exercise classes so I joined and chose a male instructor who had fun pushing me pretty hard so I also signed on with my wife's instructor who is a young lady who is a trained physiotherapist. I figured I had better limber up before Mr. Muscle did me some damage. So now Mr. Muscle beats me up on Wednesday and on Friday the young lady puts me back together. The fact that she sometimes massages my back and legs is a bonus.

I added Tai Chi training for two hours on Saturday. Luckily I found a "central casting" Tai Chi instructor (born in Hong Kong from a Tai Chi instructor family, wispy long white beard and as supple as a willow wand) but then he is only 58.

I can still get into tailored clothes I bought 20 years ago and I weigh the same and , mumble, mumble - the plumbing is still working.

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Re: Getting away from it all - Deep in the male menopause..

#49 Post by reddo » Sun Jan 19, 2020 2:27 pm

G'day Slasher,
I doubt you've got a problem. :) In most men testosterone production declines slowly from ages 30-40 at a rate of 2% per annum. With poor health and obesity, there can be a more dramatic decline known as late onset hypogonadism. Diet can help this but if it's pretty bad and it's accompanied with erectile issues then testosterone might have to be prescribed.

Mostly andropause is psychological, just as for some women, menopause has a strong psychological aspect to it. Such as the cessation of being fertile, no longer attractive, empty nest etc. Men can feel that they're no longer virile, attractive, useful and so on. The trials of life can take their toll and if their partners are wrestling with menopause then the issues can be compounded, hence the ill thought final fling in the 40-50s.
Important thing for any one as they move through the decades is to maintain a degree of activity, keep engaged with the world and never stop being curious. Staying healthy is paramount. I'm not suggesting taking up Ironman triathlons but walking the doggy, light jogging, cycling, swimming, golf. Whatever interests you and you enjoy. Gets you out of the house and engaging with folks is an absolute must.

After chatting with a colleague who's in his mid 40s, the growing apart aspect of marriage is a real trap. Both parties had an affair, whilst both say that they want the marriage to continue, I am very sceptical it will survive the breach of trust.

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Re: Getting away from it all - Deep in the male menopause..

#50 Post by Boac » Sun Jan 19, 2020 2:35 pm

Slasher - your age puts you 'in the bracket' for the male menopause - late 40's to 50's. It is NOT all about SEX. Other symptoms can be:-
mood swings and irritability (as if...)
loss of muscle mass and reduced ability to exercise
fat redistribution, such as developing a large belly or "man boobs" (gynaecomastia)
a general lack of enthusiasm or energy (I must have experienced it early in life, I think, and mostly on Sundays)
difficulty sleeping (insomnia) or increased tiredness (like when I were an airline pilot...)
poor concentration and short-term memory (what?)

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Re: Getting away from it all - Deep in the male menopause..

#51 Post by John Hill » Sun Jan 19, 2020 7:37 pm

Slasher, life does not end when testosterone levels drop and this is something I know.

It does become difficult to build muscle mass and fat does appear where you never had it before. Exercise is not only possible but is highly desirable.
Motivation is something you must, must continually work at.

Sleeping is not a problem for me but tiredness is and for that I have a daily SCAN*


Erection and ejaculation may become things of the past but the orgasmic process may still be there (but be aware your partner might think you are having a heart attrack!).

You will loose the ability to parallel park and have difficulty backing a trailer.

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Re: Getting away from it all - Deep in the male menopause..

#52 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Sun Jan 19, 2020 7:44 pm

So there it all is Captain Slasher! Nothing to worry about at all! :-s :-s :-s

=))
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Re: Getting away from it all - Deep in the male menopause..

#53 Post by Slasher » Sun Jan 19, 2020 11:02 pm

Thanks for everyone’s replies. Now I’m depressed knowing how I’m going to eventually end up! 😔

I do running almost every morning when I’m back home over hill and down dale for one hour. Pretty good pace. I walk where possible and at a fastish rate. As an airline driver my upper body strength was helped carrying my nav and overnight bags (incl the girls’s) up the ramp steps and my own stuff up and down pub stairs.

In HKG I can’t do much exercise, save a sesh now and then at the pub gym. I hate treadmills and don’t use ‘em.

At home I’m fed well and the wife knows what I should eat as an up and coming old codger. Thing is I’m too young to be this bloody old!

Since the missus is 24y younger than me I haven’t needed any fling and can still satisfy her anytime I’m called for duty. And John I’ve always looked like I’m having a painful heart attack! In fact my ‘sex face’ is such I look like I’m being disembowelled.

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Re: Getting away from it all - Deep in the male menopause..

#54 Post by John Hill » Sun Jan 19, 2020 11:19 pm

Slasher wrote:
Sun Jan 19, 2020 11:02 pm
Thanks for everyone’s replies. Now I’m depressed knowing how I’m going to eventually end up! 😔
It will not necessarily be that bad, that's if some of the stories my wife brought home from a rest home are to be believed!
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Re: Getting away from it all - Deep in the male menopause..

#55 Post by ExSp33db1rd » Sun Jan 19, 2020 11:47 pm

You will loose the ability to parallel park and have difficulty backing a trailer.
So that's the reason, and I thought it was because my present car - Honda Accord Euro - has no truly horizontal or verticical lines or right angle corners, poor visibility in any direction, restricted views in the mirrors, and I can't see very well when looking back.

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Re: Getting away from it all - Deep in the male menopause..

#56 Post by Slasher » Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:54 am

One thing I’ve noticed for a long time is that a lot of old buggers say what they think and couldn’t care less how it’s taken by others. Not so much written but vocal. That’s something to look forward to! :)

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Re: Getting away from it all - Deep in the male menopause..

#57 Post by ian16th » Mon Jan 20, 2020 11:24 am

Slasher wrote:
Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:54 am
One thing I’ve noticed for a long time is that a lot of old buggers say what they think and couldn’t care less how it’s taken by others. Not so much written but vocal. That’s something to look forward to! :)
Remember the downside; no one take the blustering of old farts seriously!
Cynicism improves with age

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Re: Getting away from it all - Deep in the male menopause..

#58 Post by Capetonian » Mon Jan 20, 2020 11:31 am

Slasher wrote:
Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:54 am
One thing I’ve noticed for a long time is that a lot of old buggers say what they think and couldn’t care less how it’s taken by others. Not so much written but vocal. That’s something to look forward to! :)
Now listen Slasher. If that's aimed at me ...... you're right ... I don't give a monkey's toss ....if you don't like it you know what you can do and where you can stick it.
Same applies to anyone else who picks an argument with me!

(P.S. Some of my friends say I was worse when I was younger and have actually mellowed with the passage of time.)

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Re: Getting away from it all - Deep in the male menopause..

#59 Post by Slasher » Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:48 pm

Not aimed at you Cape. I said ‘a lot of old buggers’. As mentioned I’m actually looking forward to it!

“So Slasher, I think you're a racist sexist GW denier. What do you say to that huh?” :(

Me (59): “No I am not. You haven’t a bloody clue what true racism and sexism is, and as for GW I don’t give 2 shits from a rat for your precious GW scam, nor your opinion of myself. Do you honestly really think it’s of importance to myself what you think of me?

Me (79?): You’re a complete moron Xxxxx. STFU and fcuk off. Fcuk off and die.” [-(

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Re: Getting away from it all - Deep in the male menopause..

#60 Post by Boac » Mon Jan 20, 2020 1:00 pm

No discernable change then?

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