Via DFW Mama – by Polly Harrison: It’s almost here and I’m really not sure how I’m going to handle it. I’m going to be 40 in a week and I’m convinced we have our dates confused on the calendar. When did this happen? I can still vividly remember counting the days until my 16^th birthday – surely it hasn’t been 24 YEARS since then, has it??? My husband informed me that he’s throwing me a party for the big day so I’ve busied myself by helping with the planning rather than focus on the ticking of the clock. But still, time marches on. I know, I know – turning 40 is better than the alternative. I get it. I realize it’s better to be alive than dead. But there’s a definite shift in society for women that occurs at 40 that’s pretty hard to ignore. Tons of magazines, beauty products and clothing lines tout themselves as being for “Women Over 40”. Why?? What happens at 40? Are all my regular things going to stop working? Do I need to cut off my hair, throw away my shorts and get age cream? Should I have done that a long time ago?? This is all new territory for me and I intend to (hopefully) approach it all gratefully and gracefully. Or maybe a little tipsy.

On the upside, the party my husband is planning sounds like it’s going to be lots of fun! In an effort to keep me from having to do much, he hired a housekeeper and scheduled a spa appointment for me the day of the big event. Also, we’ve outsourced the food and libations – Taco Taxi, a mobile taco cart catering service (doesn’t that sound like fun??) is doing dinner, Margarita Adventures is providing a margarita machine, and Creative Sweet Shoppe will be baking and decorating a vanilla cake with raspberry filling. I can’t wait!!

Check back next week and I will follow up on the big shin-dig and let you know my thoughts on how it went. And how everything tasted! That is, if my aged old brain can remember all the details. I’ll be 40 by then so you never know.

I lost 55 pounds back in 2004, managed to keep it off for a couple of years, but then it slowly started creeping back on. I gained back 31 of the 55 pounds I lost and was feeling not so great about myself. And the fact that I’d be turning 40 this year certainly didn’t help things! I decided at the beginning of March to TAKE ACTION! My mission (yes – I chose to accept it!) was to be “Fit by 40!”

I rejoined the gym that was so great for me the last time (I NEVER should’ve quit!). I also decided to sign up for their 12 week weight loss program, which came with fitness and nutritional coaching. During the 12 weeks, I lost 21 pounds – which I was THRILLED about. Closing in on 40, I was just hoping to lose 12 pounds – the rest was a huge bonus! My original goal with my fitness/nutrition coach was to be at 25% body fat…which, for me – translated to 146.6 pounds. It also meant losing about 10% body fat. At the end of my 12 weeks, I still had 7 pounds and 3.3% body fat to go to reach my goal. I chose to go to a once per month check in with my coach when the original 12 week program ended. I was hoping to hit my goal by the second check in (2 months later)…knowing that the closer I got to goal, the harder and slower my progress would probably be.

I had my FIRST monthly check in with my trainer last night and, to MY SURPRISE AND EXTREME JOY, I had met and surpassed my initial goals! I beat my weight goal by 0.2 pounds and beat my body fat goal by 0.9% – almost a FULL percent! Of course I had to hug my trainer (even though I was all sweaty after running on the treadmill – HAHA!). So now I have a new goal – I really don’t care about the number on the scale, but I’d like to work towards 22% body fat.

I hate turning 40

I am forty in a couple of weeks. It is on my mind more and more the closer it gets. My Dad said “they say life begins at 40, it’s a lie”. Thanks Dad, feel much better.

I do not feel I can look forward to this next decade. I feel like I have not acheived much in my life. I cannot have kids, I dread the menopause when my chance is finally over. I am sure by now I should feel confident and happy and secure with myself but I do not. I am older and I care less what others think but it does not make me happy to get older.

I used to be positive about the future but life has worn me down and disappointed me.

Oh no, I feel scared about being the big four oh. Only a few weeks before the big event. I think I’d feel better if I’d been married or had children, but I don’t and that’s what really stings. I didn’t think this was going to happen to me, but it has and that’s what’s really hard to deal with. I try to stay positive and actually I do want to turn 40 because I have to keep moving forward. In fact after people have been going on about it for almost the last year, I can’t wait to get it over and done with!

I have been pondering this point in my life since turning 30 (ie; now that I have rolled 30, next is 40, then 65, then 6 feet under). I guess this may seem morbid, but I whole heartedly prized youth. It seems like yesterday I was the youngest guy everywhere I went; the youngest guy at work, the youngest dad at church, ect… but, the days of being the “youngest” have been and gone for a few (ok, many) years now.

The latest thought as of last weekend to creep in my mind was- as the weather has started to cool down a little- “Man, I have maybe 35-40 Autumn’s left if I’m lucky”. Then there are thoughts of my past that well up. Having had kids in our early 20′s, our lives were all about them. Sometimes I feel as if I was a merely a paycheck at times. An overworked stressed out zombie and I missed out on my 20′s providing for the family, protecting them, teaching them what I thought was right and then working even more.

Is there a bright side to the madness?

I turn 40 this Saturday, June 19th. I am not looking forward to this.

I am already dissatisfied with the way I look. Boobs have started their downward spiral, body could stand to lose about 50 lbs., teeth could use a professional whitening treatment or veneers, deep wrinkle in the forhead could use some Botox…the list seems endless. Even more so, I feel like I haven’t accomplished many of the things that I’ve wanted to do for ME.

I feel like I’m complaining, but I’m not. I have a wonderful husband, 3 beautiful daughters, a home…but I have definitely slacked off in what I want for myself. I have never been a good self-motivater or good at tooting my own horn, so I’m not sure exactly where to start. Or maybe I do know where to start but feel overwhelmed. Anyways, good luck and be strong to all the women out there…we all go through it one way or another.

I will be 40 in six months and I am having a real problem with it. I feel like my life is over. I have always been a dreamer (thinking about things I can do in the future), now as soon as I start to think about doing something in the future, I think why bother. I won’t have time to do it before I am too old or dead.

Any advice on how to deal with this?

Who would think of all people…me would be turning 40 without children. Not only was I raised to be a mother; I love children and that was my dream in life. A little background….The summer before I entered the 5th grade my parents became foster parents for infants. As a result I became a foster sister helping to raise over 300 babies from near birth to adoptions (usually between 3 and 6 months old).

I have been to fertility doctors and there is nothing wrong with me…I just can’t get or stay pregnant. Plus, I am a lesbian so I don’t get pregnant naturally and must go through a procedure to try. I am turning 40 on all days this year…..Mother’s day!!!! So, not only is it the worst day of the year…but it is my friggn birthday….

Everyone one wants to make a big deal out of me turning the Big 40….I could care less…..I would rather the day go by unnoticed….and when I say I want to skip it …. I am being selfish for not allowing people to celebrate my life and their love for me. How can I celebrate my life and be happy with my ultimate dream of being a mother will have basically ended on 5-9-2010.

This time of year is big on birthdays in our family. Both my sisters and my father had birthdays recently. And even my husband’s family treats this month as ‘Let’s be born and Party’ time. In fact, he’s in Istanbul right now having a joint celebration with his mum. He’s just turned 40 and she 70. 40. I know.

It’s not that I’m worried about getting older. I’ve come to realise over the years that this tends to happen on a day to day basis rather than on big birthdays. No, I’m fine with that. It’s more to do with the realisation that, come forty, you’re meant to be a certain way. Respectable, maybe. Adult, definitely. Better dressed. So with a few months to go, I’d like to review the list of ‘Things I’m meant to have got right before turning 40′ and see how I score. Why don’t you see how you score too if you’re not 40 yet? And if you are 40, feel free to add things to my list!

Things I’m supposed to get right before turning 40

This morning, we celebrated a friend’s birthday with a brunch at my house. It was a simple meal, organic vanilla yogurt, fresh fruit salad, and Rhodes cinnamon rolls hot out of the the oven, with a birthday candle stuck in them.

Since she was turning 40, a group of her friends came up with 40 charms for me to make into a bracelet for her. We’ve done this for a couple of other pals in our circle on their 40th too.

I’ll be forty next year. Some things are as I imagined they’d be, others are completely different. I’m not feeling the excitement I felt at turning thirty, but I am more curious. I don’t expect anything to magically happen on my fortieth birthday or in my fortieth year, but I do think I’ll be paying much closer attention.

I turn 40 at the end of the year and am stressed about it. I started a list of “40 things I want to do before i turn 40″ It has helped me to realize that there is not much I want to do…

I have done almost everything I wanted to. I only have 30 things on my list and am adding to it as I think of things.

I’ll be turning 40 in February and I am happy to say that I am looking forward to it. One thing that bothers me is that I want more children. I currently have 1 child. I’m really scared, so I am thinking about adoption, instead.
Turning 40 is very exciting to me because not only am I growning older gracefully, heck, I look 28. I’m always carded, approached by younger guys and some older men. I hardly ever get approach by men my age, I think it’s because I look so young. Anyway, I am very happy and looking so forward to turning 40. GOD BLESS

Hi! I’ll be turning 40 in February. The last couple of years have brought a lot of changes in my life – the end of a long-term relationship, a new job, and a move. I have learned a lot, and hope to apply what I’ve learned in my 40s and be the best person I can be!

I Welcome 40!  March 13, that just happens to fall on a friday.  But i do consider this a lucky day Friday March 13th.  I myself am not married, I have no children, I do not own a home.  I believe every woman wants that fairy tale wedding, and happily ever after. But I find myself very grateful for the life that I have lead, filled with adventures, good people, and lots of laughter and tears.  I am looking forward to 40, I am at the point in my life I think what is next? what do I do? I can do anything?

I have set a few goals, but also am going to just sit back and ENJOY MY JOURNEY….PEACE TO ALL WHO ARE TURNING THE BIG 40