People often ask me what I do to look and feel the way I do at 65.

It's a fair question, but it's also a difficult one to answer because there isn't a single thing I can point to.

There wasn't one workout, one skincare product, one supplement, or one health habit that got me here.

What you see today is the result of decades of choices. Some were intentional. Some were lucky. Some I got right. And some I would absolutely do differently if I had the chance.

When I look back, I realize I did a few important things right.

I've was always mindful about my health.

I've always cared about my skin.

I've always stayed active.

And perhaps most importantly, I never completely gave up on myself.

Even when I didn't know exactly what to do, I kept trying to learn.

Though, there are things I would do differently.

HEALTH, WEIGHT & HORMONES

I think maintaining a generally healthy body weight for most of my adult life probably served me well, although there were certainly periods when that wasn't easy.

In my 40s, weight started creeping on and I couldn't figure out why.

I was vegetarian. I ate plenty of fruits and vegetables. I thought I was doing everything right.

What I didn't understand at the time was that aging changes things.

Hormones change.

Muscle changes.

Metabolism changes.

And no one was talking about menopause when I went through it except to say it was natural, normal, and to just get on with it.

I kept looking at my habits and wondering why they weren't producing the same results they once had.

Looking back, I can see that some of what I was experiencing was completely normal. But it started me on a path of learning more about how food, muscle, exercise, hormones, and aging actually work together.

I also wish I had understood hormones sooner.

Not because there is one right answer for every woman, but because understanding your options is empowering.

For years, I assumed certain changes were simply things I had to accept.

Today, I have a very different perspective.

Starting HRT in my 60s has been one of the more positive decisions I've made for my health and quality of life.

For me, it's improved my sleep, supported my workouts and recovery and given me another tool to support how I want to age.

That doesn't mean it's the right choice for everyone.

But I do wish I had spent less time assuming I had to simply accept every change that came with aging, and more time learning about the options available to me.

Whether that's HRT or something else, I believe women deserve information, education, and the ability to make informed decisions about their own bodies.

SKIN

When it comes to my skin, I've always cared.

Long before social media, before beauty influencers, before skincare became an industry built around trends, I was wearing sunscreen and taking care of my skin.

That is something I got right.

What I would have done differently is start some of today's tools and treatments sooner, had they existed or had I known about them.

I would have started retinoids earlier.

I would have paid more attention to collagen loss.

I would have been more proactive about supporting my skin before I could see the changes happening.

And while consistency matters, I don't believe we should stop learning.

I've always paid attention to what has stood the test of time in skincare science, but I'm equally interested in new technologies that may help support skin as we age.

If devices like red light therapy and at-home laser treatments had been available decades ago, I would have been paying attention.

Looking back, the biggest improvements in my skin didn't come from one product.

They came from a combination of daily habits, proven skincare ingredients, and being willing to evolve my approach as new science and technology emerged.

Daily habits.

Sun protection.

Retinoids.

Moisturizing.

Treating my skin gently.

Staying hydrated.

Eating well.

And being consistent.

The women who age well rarely do one extraordinary thing.

They do ordinary things for a very long time.

That may be the biggest lesson my skin has taught me.

MUSCLE

The biggest thing I would have done differently is understand muscle much earlier.

When I lifted weights in my 20s, I wasn't thinking about preserving muscle for my 60s.

I wasn't thinking about bone density, metabolic health, balance, independence, or healthy longevity.

I was a young woman working out.

Later, when I got serious about exercise again in my 50s, I still wasn't thinking about those things.

I wanted to look better, feel more confident, and get back in shape.

I knew I needed to do something.

I just didn't know what.

I hired a trainer because I liked her, she was close to my house, and she gave me accountability.

It was a great start.

But looking back, I wish I had understood sooner that muscle isn't just about appearance.

It's one of the most valuable assets we have as we age.

NUTRITION

I also wish I had learned earlier how to eat to support that muscle.

For years, I thought I ate healthy.

And, I did.

I wasn't living on fast food and soda.

But I didn't understand protein.

I didn't understand how much I actually needed.

I didn't understand that healthy eating and eating to support muscle growth are not always the same thing.

I didn't understand how food intake, protein, carbohydrates, recovery, and strength training all worked together.

That knowledge would have saved me years of trial and error.

TRACKING

I also would have started tracking sooner.

For years, I was guessing.

Guessing how much food I was eating.

Guessing whether my workouts were working.

Guessing whether I was making progress.

Tracking changed that.

When I started paying attention to my food intake, my macros, and my workouts, I stopped relying on memory and feelings.

I started working with information.

I could see patterns.

I could see what was working.

I could see what wasn't.

I could see whether I was actually getting stronger.

I could see whether I was eating enough to support muscle or accidentally working against my own goals.

Today, I still track.

Not because I'm obsessed with numbers, and I know it's not right for evryone. I track because I find it useful.

I like having data.

I like knowing whether I'm eating enough protein.

I like knowing whether I'm progressing in the gym.

I like being able to connect what I'm doing today with the results I see months from now.

For me, it's less about restriction and more about awareness.

It's SO empowering. 

STRENGTH TRAINING

I also would have learned how to strength train with more intention.

For years, I thought lifting weights was enough.

And to some extent, it was.

Doing something is certainly better than doing nothing.

What I didn't understand was progressive overload.

I didn't understand that the goal wasn't simply to complete a workout.

The goal was to gradually ask more of my muscles over time.

Lift the weight.

Get stronger.

Then lift a little more weight.

Get stronger again.

Repeat.

Simple in theory, but I didn't fully appreciate how important it was.

I didn't know how often I should train, how many sets and reps made sense, how hard I should be working, or how to know if I was actually progressing.

Those are things I spent years piecing together through books, podcasts, YouTube videos, experts, and experience.

Some of the information helped.

Some of it only left me more confused.

Looking back, I wish someone had simply explained that building and keeping muscle requires a reason for your body to hold onto it.

And one of the best ways to give it that reason is to keep challenging it.

THE BIGGEST LESSON

And maybe that's the biggest thing I've learned.

Aging isn't something that just happens to us.

There are certainly things we can't control.

But there is far more we can influence than many people realize.

The way we move.

The way we eat.

The way we care for our skin.

The habits we repeat every day.

The choices we make in our 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond.

None of them seem particularly important in the moment.

Until one day they are.

At 64, I don't think I've figured everything out.

I'm still learning.

But if I could sit down with a younger version of myself, I'd have a lot to say.

Some things I'd tell her to keep doing.

Some things I'd tell her to start sooner.

And a few things I'd tell her not to worry about at all.

NEXT TIME

This article was about looking back.

What I did right.

What I'd do differently.

And what took me years to learn.

In my next article, I'll share something different:

The things I do at 64 that support how I age.

The habits, routines, and decisions that are part of my life today, and the ones I believe have made the biggest difference.

 

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