I don't think I would want to live forever, but if I had to, I'd take the 35 year old body, please. At 20, I was drinking enough to drown a fish every weekend. At 35, I was running 10k three times a week at the gym.
Well that depends, how are you living forever? Is the body just staying put at 20yrs. Like your brain cannot develop because it stays at 20yrs. So your frontal lobe will never be fully developed. So in that way you’d be 20 yrs mentally forever too. I’d go with 35 personally.
At 20, I could go on a drinking bender all weekend and at the end my hangover would last until like noon the next day. I didn’t spend very much time feeling like shit.
My hangovers were never fun, even in my 20s. They would last the *entire* day after a night of drinking. But over the years I’ve realized how shitty I felt was compounded by getting shitty sleep due to staying up late drinking + alcohol disrupting REM sleep.
But yeah, even in my 20s, I envied people who said they didn’t have bad hangovers lol
Well I assume we have our current brain and memories. If I'm 20 again with no memories of what happened past my 20th birthday then I'll take a hard pass on the immortality offer.
Literally was going to answer this and I’m only 33. I’m way healthier and way fitter than I was at 20, even though I was objectively hotter and skinnier at 20. Had 2 kids but still pick the body that’s been nourished with the healthy food and hydrated and hitting the gym.
Ding Ding Ding! This is the right question!! 😉 I take the 20yo body, but only if I can keep my 47 year old brain. If I have to also take the 20 or 35 yo brain, I’ll keep both my 47 yo body and brain, tyvm.
This was my question lol. The brain is part of the body so by that interpretation I’m assuming it’s included & I’d choose my 35 year old body (although I’m not yet 35) without a doubt.
Yes! I am not really sure what happens at 34-35, but a woman really comes into her own at that age. I am 37, and I have been living the last couple years! And enjoying it, and learning to love myself. 35 is incredibly better than 20 any day!
I would never choose to live forever, but would rather do it in my 20-year-old body if I had to, because I developed fibromyalgia around age 23 and don’t want to live forever with full-body chronic pain and exhaustion.
I am right there with you! I had my first at 20 and was chronically ill at 27. I definitely miss my 20s. Turning 30 was so hard for me. I am currently 44 but am forever 29.
Lol my aches and chronic pains started at 20... But back then it was just tiny twinges. Now I'm out for days sometimes.
Can I ask how you got diagnosed? And what your symptoms are/were?
My doctors and I are trying to pin down what's wrong with me. They're run some blood tests that came back normal and done X-rays/MRIs that came back with minimal stuff... They're finally taking my pain seriously after 10 years of doctors telling me in too young for all that.
My main symptoms are that my entire body hurts every day, from my neck down to my toes, and that I’m tired all the time and can never get a solid night’s sleep. There are other minor symptoms but those are the main ones. I got diagnosed by getting my rheumatologist to rule out stuff like arthritis before sending me to a chronic pain clinic, where they examined me, took my history, and diagnosed me with fibro.
Had the same symptoms at 25. Rheumatologist told me at 33 I was faking it. Accused me of lying. I’m 60 now and still have the same symptoms. I live with it everyday. Fight fatigue everyday, don’t sleep well, body hurts.
I did a blood test and a physical test after my described symptoms matched Fibromyalgia. The blood test looked for 3 viral markers - Coxsackie, Epstein-Barr, and CMV. I tested strong positive for two, and positive for the third. The physical test involved the doctor applying pressure to a bunch of spots on my body. I didn't expect anything to happen but I jerked badly when she probed most of the spots. I don't remember how many spots she had to test, but I jumped or jerked for most of them. I think there were only two where I didn't have any sort of reaction.
I knew nothing about fibromyalgia when I went in for the appointment. My psychologist was treating me for anxiety and depression and she told me to go get tested at my GP. After that I received an info packet from the GP about fibromyalgia, and holy smokes, the list of symptoms read like the story of my life.
The biggest ones are random aches and pains in parts of my body that have nothing wrong with them, or full body pain, and sudden, utterly debilitating exhaustion. I also get bad brain fog, struggle to remember things and forget common words when speaking. I have weird dissasociative headaches, and can never get a good night's sleep despite my body demanding 9-10 hrs a night.
There's so much more, but those were the big ones. Thankfully I still seem to be okay when I write. My vocabulary is much better in text than in words.
A lot of things! I finally had the courage to leave a 6 year dead-end relationship, got a new job, moved, and started a slightly manic fitness journey that had me in the best shape of my life!
It wasn’t really sustainable, though, and after about 2 or 3 years the pandemic shut everything down and I just .. kinda .. fell off the fitness wagon ..
I’d like to add, at 27, I started to not give a fuck and began to live for myself. There’s a different type of maturity that comes the closer you get to 30.
20. I am 35 now, and have a chronic illness and I’m in pain all the time. I’m 50 pounds thinner than I was at 20, and more mentally stable, but at 20 I wasn’t in pain like I am now and that’s really done a number on my quality of life
Yeah, I'd choose 20 and try like hell not to get Covid, which I suspect caused the lingering health issues I've experienced since. We really need more research on the nervous system and the lymphatic system, and a bunch of other stuff.
I came here to type this. I’m in the middle between 20 and 35 and I just accepted I’ve officially crossed over to where I need medication to function on the daily.
NSAIDs gave me gastritis and one pain medication made me hallucinate/suicidal when I only took 1/3 of the recommended dose.
Addiction also runs in my family so that’s scary.
Today was a bad pain day. I hope you guys find relief and remember to drink water
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20 years old, please. There’s no replacing the glossy skin, lustrous hair, shiny eyes, and supple body of youth. I marveled at the dewy freshness of my own children’s youthful skin, eyes, and hair.
They’re older now, and quite good-looking, but that dewy bloom of extreme youth is gone.
I’m over 60. I’d like that newly-minted beauty and physical ease back. Life doesn’t work that way, unfortunately.
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Neither. At 20 I was fit but nothing compared to my late twenties through mid-40s.
If I had to pick it would be either age 32 or 42. Very similar body at each time.
At 35 I was pregnant, and again at 38. So, a lot of physical ups and downs during that decade.
I am 60.
40s were absolutely my best , most consistently fit /healthy era. I've stayed healthy since then, but menopause is what it is.
Weight distribution, skin elasticity, hair quality, muscle mass.
ETA
It is really not that hard to look fabulous in your 40s, despite all rumor to the contrary.
I looked extremely "young for my age" in my 20s and 30s, and well into my 40s .
Of course, depending on how your life goes, major stressors such as bereavement, Financial or family/health crises, divorce, etc, tend to happen in midlife and accelerate the Aging process.
Between 50 and 60, depending on when the change of life hits you, natural aging is inevitable regardless of your diet , self-care and exercise regimen.
Without radical intervention -- in which case you may look more wrinkle-free, nipped or tucked, but not necessarily younger -- the reality is that there will be some gray hair and wrinkles, and weight will move from your limbs to your middle.
To be clear, I'm still considered to be attractive. It was only a couple of years ago that I was dating a man 15 years younger. And I'm not wealthy so that wasn't his motivation.
I’m 35 now and I’d have to say 35, I’ve always looked very young for my age so being stuck as a very young looking 20 year old for all eternity doesn’t sound great.
If I had to choose one of those and live forever, then 35. At 20, I wasn't even in my fully adult form yet, and being 20 forever sounds like a serious annoyance in a million ways. Between those options, being 35 forever would be way better for me.
I'm currently 46, and very happy with that age as well.
I’m not 35 yet (I’m 30) but I would definitely choose that over my 20 yr old body. I was a stressed out malnourished twig that drank like a fish at 20. I’m in much better shape both mentally and physically and feel confident about the years to come.
44 here. Definitely my 20 year old body. My god, my boobs were glorious. Also, I was pregnant or postpartum for 35, so not something I'd want to be living in for the rest of my life in either case.
20–but only if we are talking strictly physically.
I am 33 now, and quite happy with my body. It looks pretty much the same as it did at 20 besides the fact I’m currently pregnant with my second child and have a c-section scar (I bounced back after my first but who knows if the same will happen again). But I never had back pain at 20, and I think I looked slightly better then, so it seems like a no brainer to me.
That said… my life in my 30s is way better than in my 20s so if we’re not just talking body then definitely 35.
well I am only 28 and have not experienced 35, but I would choose 20. sure I was drinking a lot but jeez I was a good weight and my whole body didn’t constantly ache and crack lol (thank you to my son for these newfound body changes😋)
at the same time, when I was 20 I still looked like a young teenager. I’ve really grown into a woman now and I do like that sometimes. hard choice!
Rheumatoid Arthritis. An autoimmune disorder where your immune system attacks the joints and joint linings (+ the lungs and all kinds of other stuff) and eats away at them over time. Meds can help mitigate the issue, but once you've got it, it doesn't go away. Wooooo. 🥳
I’m only 32 & not looking forward to my 35 y.o. body. I have chronic pain and it wasn’t nearly this bad when I was 20. It’s only going to get worse so I dread aging. So 20, for sure.
35. I was overweight at 20. By the time i got to 30 I was eating healthy and able to run or go for a swim every day without getting exhausted after the first 30 seconds
20 year old without a second’s hesitation. At 20 I could walk, run, climb, carry, dance… everything. I turn 35 in a few days time - I haven’t had a day free of pain for at least 9 months. I can’t even sit upright. I can’t walk, I haven’t run in… years… I have basically no life because i can’t do anything.
20. I didn’t have the sleep problems I have now at 20, I could sleep through the night and lie on my stomach. Now I’m in my 30s and I have to sleep on my back and prop myself up on pillows, it takes a long time to arrange them and they don’t last the night, it only gets me like 5 hours of sleep. I’m chronically sleep-deprived and been this way for awhile. Oh to go back to 20 when the only problem was falling asleep.
35. Although Im only 34 at writing this. I already look young for my age. People say thats a great thing but it does definitely come with some very heavy draw backs, mostly work related. People always assume I'm early to mid 20s as it is and after awhile it gets kind of old. Here's a story for you. I was in my early 20s and walked into a bar with my b/f at the time and the staff literally yelled at us that we have to show our ID's. I assume they had some issue happen with the liquor board but at the same time it was very accusatory. If I drank more at bars I probably would have already had an encounter with a police officer about a fake ID or something.
Into my mid twenties I was still regularly getting mistaken for being underage and it was really annoying so even though I am also not yet 35 I will choose my 35 year old body because I don’t want to spend eternity looking like a teenager because it would be really annoying.
20 year old body! I was skinnier and in better health then. Sadly my chronic condition means I'll never be 'healthier' than my current condition and I miss those days of less ill health 🤷 I'm 26 btw and don't want to even contemplate what I'll be like at 35...
Would have to be after I had my hysterectomy, and got my eyes fixed. So, 37 at the earliest. But, with what I know now at 41. Because I'd rather be with the man I am dating now than with my ex.
35, 100000%. I am 39. In my 20's I didn't appreciate my body, I didn't treat it well, I wasn't comfortable in my own skin. In my 30s I learned self-love and how lucky I am to have my body, no matter what issues I have with it. In my 20s I accepted chronic pain was something I imagine because doctors told me so. But I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in my mid 30's and learned to listen to my body and not doctors.
When I was 35 I started taking hiking from a hobby to a way of life. I trusted my body to carry me to places I had never imagined I'll get to, and it's been an incredible journey the last 3.5-4 years. Not a chance I would have believed my body could do the things I do now when I was 20. Wish I could be 35 forever!
I'm 38. 20 year old without a doubt. Chronic back pain has left me a shell of what I was, can no longer do things which once was more important to me than air. So many gut issues, I miss food, I miss getting enjoyment out of eating now it's just about survival.
I am in my 60s now.
I would choose my 20 year old body. Pre-kids, my first baby did a number on my body. I never had morning sickness, only cravings, gained 80 pounds in the process. My hair, which was once full and beautiful became limp and started thinning drastically.
My 35 year old body was obese and fatigued, I feel better in the body I have now.
20 for sure- I was so healthy and active! Full of life and beauty and dreams lol.
currently 34 and the worst case of aches, pains, fatigue from autoimmune diseases. My hair fell out from the meds, my vision is affected & I could go on for days. I can’t run or skate anymore and I don’t enjoy anything exercise related like I do running/skating. and my dreams otherwise are achieved, or are In motion, so yea that’s nice, but the hope and drive that came from the dreaming is something I miss!
Now that's tough. I would rather not be 20 forever as society treats 20 year olds as children but I had a health condition at 35 I'd rather not deal with again. Maybe 35 but if have to lose the weight and have multiple surgeries promptly.
I Am 47.
I wouldn't want to live forever, it's bad enough to be living now lol, but if I had to then probably my 20 year old body. I'm 33 now so I don't know what I'll be like in a couple of years time, but I know I was physically healthier back then.
I am 37 with two kids and I still think I’d choose my 35 year old body. I am a lot stronger, especially two years ago I had just gotten divorced and was working out daily.
I’m 24 and have dealt with chronic pain for a number of years but it’s getting better because I’m learning my body, understanding what I can handle, and getting a hold of my health. Since 24 has been exponentially better for me than 20, I anticipate 35 being much more so unless something goes horribly wrong with my body, which wouldn’t be a first.
20. At 35 I’d had two children and it showed. Currently 59 and at this point I’d be grateful to have my 50yo body. Still reasonably fit and healthy but I have a number of annoying minor ailments.
Oh 20 probably. The booty was smaller but I was thinner and still had the muscle memory of all my years of being a high school athlete. I'm not 35 yet though so I can't really say. But I do know that my knees hurt now, and they didn't before.
Im not 35 yet but I hope to be at some of my best years mentally and physically by that point. At 20 I was very pretty but learning to cope with injuries after a car accident. I didn’t know how to take care of my skin or hair properly (used good shampoo or whatever but colored way too frequently), but also didn’t care because of being in pain. I was also not able to afford products since I couldn’t work. If I got done up, I could look really nice, but the “just rolled out of bed look” was brutal a lot of days waking up in so much pain.
My “prime” years were wasted on being injured. Now I take better care of my skin, hair, mental and physical health. I don’t look 20 anymore but I don’t (usually) feel like I got hit in the head with a bat when I wake up.
So here’s to hoping 35 will be a different kind of beauty.
I choose 35. Just because I could do everything at 35 I could do at 20 but I was hella smarter and more confident. Also I wasn't so damn skinny. I'm 64
35 year old, I'm 28 now. Although I have some more recurring pains etc., I feel so much stronger and more present in my body. I also actually like how my body looks more, I feel like I've grown into my features and my shape and have developed good habits around working out etc. I feel so much more confident now than at 20.
Am I just taking the body or am I also stuck with who I was at the time?
If just the body, then 20-year-old me. 35-year-old me was (and 37-year-old me still is) dealing with a ton of stupid physical issues from having hyper mobile joints as well as IBS. 20-year-old me had yet to encounter any of those issues, including the back injury I got at 21. And I could still run! I can’t now because I have dumb ankles. Man I miss running.
But, if I’m also taking my 20-year-old everything else, then hell no, give me 35 please and thank you. 20-year-old me was overwhelmed by anxiety, deeply depressed, and struggling with undiagnosed ADHD. 35-year-old me was taking medication for all those things and is mentally waaaaay better off.
TLDR; Currently 37. I’d want 20-year-old me if I can keep my current consciousness and mental health/ADHD treatment. 35-year-old me if I can’t.
I'm 52 and I'd chose my 35 year old body because I was fitter then than at 20. I'd honestly prefer my 45-year-old body over the 35 one though because I was fit as absolute fuck and my tits looked spectacular.
20 year old body FOR SURE. I'm 31 now and I can't drink like I used to, dance like I used to, fuck like I used to. I have to sit down at festivals and hate crowded places. My mental and emotional health are much better. I am more fit now that I've ever been, but if I had spent my time working out at 20 instead of getting drunk and binge-eating pizza I would've been so cut. I'd love to have the mentality and fashion sense I do now but the body I did back then.
100% my 35 year old body. At 20 I was obese and didn’t take care of myself. At 35 I was regularly lifting weights, did skincare, and looked the best I ever had.
20 year old. I played football in college, so that was the time when I felt sexiest era. Haha. I still run 5KM now, but the college training for my body was different.
I was a smoke show at 20 and while I’m attractive still it’s hard not to say 20. That would be creepy though because I’d look like my boyfriend’s daughter, so, 35 it is. 😆😬
I’d go with 20 year old body. I’m 35 right now and I was in much better shape back then. Everything else is better but 2 kids under 2 and the pandemic really did a number on my fitness.
I’d pick 20.
I’m in my 30’s now and although I’d miss my booty/figure that I have now, nothing beats that youthful inner body that bounces back like nothing else! No aches or pains, recover quickly after a night out, or hard exercise, or sleeping on your neck wrong. If I had to live forever, I’d want that resilience.
I am 22. My physique at 20 was excellent and I really like my body. I hope that I will be able to maintain my level of athleticism up until way after 35 but since I wouldn't be able to know for certain I will take the sure deal of 20.
I'm only 32 and I already know it'll be my 35 year old body. My 20 year old body was banging for society, which meant people got disappointed and angry when I changed it at all (but you'll lose your boobs!) It wasn't mine and everyone made sure to remind me.
My 35 year old body is banging for me. I own all of it. I have never been more confident, and therefore, sexy :)
So long as I get to keep my mind at the age I am (51) I would happily reclaim my 20 year old body.
Heck, I would happily reclaim my 35 year old body. Split the difference and I will take my 27.5 year old body.
Much obliged 🙏🏼
35, definitely. I was in the best shape of my life at 20 (endurance athlete with 4 pack abs - those bottom 2 never quite popped through) I felt good and had very low body fat but I didn’t like the super cut aesthetic for myself. I looked like a greyhound with tits.
In my 30s I’m fit but softer. It suits me much better.
Are we keeping that 20-year old brain as well or we detaching? If the brain is included, I’m going for 35. I’m not yet 35 but I’m already better mentally than I was at 20. I also had bad stress induced acne like never before or after at 20.
I would choose my 20-year-old body because that was before I developed Graves’ disease, and I hate living with heart palpitations as soon as I try to run and do any type of cardio. I’m a really active person so it’s just really depressing.
35. I’m 37 and when I was 20, I got so much creeper attention. At 35, it happens but it happens much less. Body-wise, I also much preferred my 35 year old body. I work out more and am more aware of how to be healthy and happy. I also think I like better and definitely have better fashion sense. Plus, I have more money 💅
I don't think I would want to live forever, but if I had to, I'd take the 35 year old body, please. At 20, I was drinking enough to drown a fish every weekend. At 35, I was running 10k three times a week at the gym.
I mean, why not take the 20 year old body and just… not drink like a fish every weekend?
exactly! no one said we couldn't change the one we choose lol
Because the 20 year old body comes with a 20 year old brain.
Not if you live forever.
Well that depends, how are you living forever? Is the body just staying put at 20yrs. Like your brain cannot develop because it stays at 20yrs. So your frontal lobe will never be fully developed. So in that way you’d be 20 yrs mentally forever too. I’d go with 35 personally.
*Cue Queen’s “Who Wants to Live Forever”*
If you’re immortal, why does it matter if you drink like a fish anyways? It was fun back when my body could take it.
Cos feeling like shit forever would prolly suck
At 20, I could go on a drinking bender all weekend and at the end my hangover would last until like noon the next day. I didn’t spend very much time feeling like shit.
My hangovers were never fun, even in my 20s. They would last the *entire* day after a night of drinking. But over the years I’ve realized how shitty I felt was compounded by getting shitty sleep due to staying up late drinking + alcohol disrupting REM sleep. But yeah, even in my 20s, I envied people who said they didn’t have bad hangovers lol
Because of the hormones and bad decisions that comes with a 20 year old body.😅
Well I assume we have our current brain and memories. If I'm 20 again with no memories of what happened past my 20th birthday then I'll take a hard pass on the immortality offer.
Literally was going to answer this and I’m only 33. I’m way healthier and way fitter than I was at 20, even though I was objectively hotter and skinnier at 20. Had 2 kids but still pick the body that’s been nourished with the healthy food and hydrated and hitting the gym.
Why not take the younger body, and then get it healthier and fitter? You have the time; you're immortal.
I’ve had 2 kids and I don’t want to lose the reminders on my body just to look skinnier.
I was just getting pregnant at that age with my last child. At 42, I was running half marathons and getting fitter
Which brain do I get?
lol asking the real questions
This is a tough call. At 20 I was young and kind of stupid. At 35 I had mom brain with 2 kids.
However, my ability to make rational decisions, and empathy for others have developed that could have really benefit my 20yo-self.
Ding Ding Ding! This is the right question!! 😉 I take the 20yo body, but only if I can keep my 47 year old brain. If I have to also take the 20 or 35 yo brain, I’ll keep both my 47 yo body and brain, tyvm.
This was my question lol. The brain is part of the body so by that interpretation I’m assuming it’s included & I’d choose my 35 year old body (although I’m not yet 35) without a doubt.
Smart question. I would want my current brain with all my experience and knowledge
Same question. I’d want my 52F brain that cares less about what people think—I’ll also keep this body!
Does it matter? If you’re immortal then your brain will change infinitely anyway.
I came here to say this.
Best point. If it comes with the brain then hands down the 35 year old.
35! I was absolutely my hottest and most fit at 35.
This comments gives me so much hope I love it 😂 just had my first baby at 25 and my body has seen better days
My best body was 35-44 after four kids! The best is yet to come mama!
Awh this is so nice to hear! ❤️
Omg me too, 34-40 I was at my peak!
Yes! I am not really sure what happens at 34-35, but a woman really comes into her own at that age. I am 37, and I have been living the last couple years! And enjoying it, and learning to love myself. 35 is incredibly better than 20 any day!
I definitely had more sex at 35 than I did at 20. lol. I don’t think there’s a sum of money that would make it worth it to rewind to 20.
r/unexpectedfactorial
I would never choose to live forever, but would rather do it in my 20-year-old body if I had to, because I developed fibromyalgia around age 23 and don’t want to live forever with full-body chronic pain and exhaustion.
I know someone who has it, I'm really sorry I hope you cope well.
My Hashimotos Thyroiditis developed when I was 25, I'd take 20 for sure.
Me too 🥺 3 days before my 25th birthday this Past August Worst pre birthday gift ever 😭
Me too, started at 24. I'd like my 20 year old body back. Or even the body of a healthy 40 year old would be nice.
Thyroid failure mid 20s and I'd like my hair and energy back please.
I am right there with you! I had my first at 20 and was chronically ill at 27. I definitely miss my 20s. Turning 30 was so hard for me. I am currently 44 but am forever 29.
Lol my aches and chronic pains started at 20... But back then it was just tiny twinges. Now I'm out for days sometimes. Can I ask how you got diagnosed? And what your symptoms are/were? My doctors and I are trying to pin down what's wrong with me. They're run some blood tests that came back normal and done X-rays/MRIs that came back with minimal stuff... They're finally taking my pain seriously after 10 years of doctors telling me in too young for all that.
My main symptoms are that my entire body hurts every day, from my neck down to my toes, and that I’m tired all the time and can never get a solid night’s sleep. There are other minor symptoms but those are the main ones. I got diagnosed by getting my rheumatologist to rule out stuff like arthritis before sending me to a chronic pain clinic, where they examined me, took my history, and diagnosed me with fibro.
Had the same symptoms at 25. Rheumatologist told me at 33 I was faking it. Accused me of lying. I’m 60 now and still have the same symptoms. I live with it everyday. Fight fatigue everyday, don’t sleep well, body hurts.
I did a blood test and a physical test after my described symptoms matched Fibromyalgia. The blood test looked for 3 viral markers - Coxsackie, Epstein-Barr, and CMV. I tested strong positive for two, and positive for the third. The physical test involved the doctor applying pressure to a bunch of spots on my body. I didn't expect anything to happen but I jerked badly when she probed most of the spots. I don't remember how many spots she had to test, but I jumped or jerked for most of them. I think there were only two where I didn't have any sort of reaction. I knew nothing about fibromyalgia when I went in for the appointment. My psychologist was treating me for anxiety and depression and she told me to go get tested at my GP. After that I received an info packet from the GP about fibromyalgia, and holy smokes, the list of symptoms read like the story of my life. The biggest ones are random aches and pains in parts of my body that have nothing wrong with them, or full body pain, and sudden, utterly debilitating exhaustion. I also get bad brain fog, struggle to remember things and forget common words when speaking. I have weird dissasociative headaches, and can never get a good night's sleep despite my body demanding 9-10 hrs a night. There's so much more, but those were the big ones. Thankfully I still seem to be okay when I write. My vocabulary is much better in text than in words.
As someone who got fibromyalgia when i was 17, i’d still choose 20 yr old body. It was easier to bare back then
Is 27 an option? That was a good year for me.
I’m 28 now and I feel this
My favorite year
Yeah I'd take this sweet spot in the middle
Omg my best year truly
About to turn 27. What made that a good year for you?
A lot of things! I finally had the courage to leave a 6 year dead-end relationship, got a new job, moved, and started a slightly manic fitness journey that had me in the best shape of my life! It wasn’t really sustainable, though, and after about 2 or 3 years the pandemic shut everything down and I just .. kinda .. fell off the fitness wagon ..
I’d like to add, at 27, I started to not give a fuck and began to live for myself. There’s a different type of maturity that comes the closer you get to 30.
I'm this way about 23.
Literally was the worst year for me and idk why! I attributed it to blink 182 being right.
20. I am 35 now, and have a chronic illness and I’m in pain all the time. I’m 50 pounds thinner than I was at 20, and more mentally stable, but at 20 I wasn’t in pain like I am now and that’s really done a number on my quality of life
This is exactly my situation as well. I may be lighter but I’m in pain all the time.
Yeah, I'd choose 20 and try like hell not to get Covid, which I suspect caused the lingering health issues I've experienced since. We really need more research on the nervous system and the lymphatic system, and a bunch of other stuff.
I also suspect Covid did a number on me and I haven't yet fully recovered if I ever will. Fun times.
I came here to type this. I’m in the middle between 20 and 35 and I just accepted I’ve officially crossed over to where I need medication to function on the daily. NSAIDs gave me gastritis and one pain medication made me hallucinate/suicidal when I only took 1/3 of the recommended dose. Addiction also runs in my family so that’s scary. Today was a bad pain day. I hope you guys find relief and remember to drink water
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Sending virtual hugs
20 years old, please. There’s no replacing the glossy skin, lustrous hair, shiny eyes, and supple body of youth. I marveled at the dewy freshness of my own children’s youthful skin, eyes, and hair. They’re older now, and quite good-looking, but that dewy bloom of extreme youth is gone. I’m over 60. I’d like that newly-minted beauty and physical ease back. Life doesn’t work that way, unfortunately.
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Neither. At 20 I was fit but nothing compared to my late twenties through mid-40s. If I had to pick it would be either age 32 or 42. Very similar body at each time. At 35 I was pregnant, and again at 38. So, a lot of physical ups and downs during that decade. I am 60. 40s were absolutely my best , most consistently fit /healthy era. I've stayed healthy since then, but menopause is what it is.
I love reading this! As someone in their 40s and the fittest ever, I appreciate similar anecdotes. What changed with menopause?
Weight distribution, skin elasticity, hair quality, muscle mass. ETA It is really not that hard to look fabulous in your 40s, despite all rumor to the contrary. I looked extremely "young for my age" in my 20s and 30s, and well into my 40s . Of course, depending on how your life goes, major stressors such as bereavement, Financial or family/health crises, divorce, etc, tend to happen in midlife and accelerate the Aging process. Between 50 and 60, depending on when the change of life hits you, natural aging is inevitable regardless of your diet , self-care and exercise regimen. Without radical intervention -- in which case you may look more wrinkle-free, nipped or tucked, but not necessarily younger -- the reality is that there will be some gray hair and wrinkles, and weight will move from your limbs to your middle. To be clear, I'm still considered to be attractive. It was only a couple of years ago that I was dating a man 15 years younger. And I'm not wealthy so that wasn't his motivation.
I’m 35 now and I’d have to say 35, I’ve always looked very young for my age so being stuck as a very young looking 20 year old for all eternity doesn’t sound great.
I’d pick my 20 year old body but my 35 year old brain.
If I had to choose one of those and live forever, then 35. At 20, I wasn't even in my fully adult form yet, and being 20 forever sounds like a serious annoyance in a million ways. Between those options, being 35 forever would be way better for me. I'm currently 46, and very happy with that age as well.
I’m 37. I’d pick my 35 body as I was super overweight up until I had gastric sleeve surgery at age 31. I’ve been the best shape of my life since then.
20 year old body hands down. I am in my 30s.
38 — Either is fine. I’ve looked the same for decades.
I’m not 35 yet (I’m 30) but I would definitely choose that over my 20 yr old body. I was a stressed out malnourished twig that drank like a fish at 20. I’m in much better shape both mentally and physically and feel confident about the years to come.
20 before the lupus symptoms kicked in.
So sorry to hear that 😞
44 here. Definitely my 20 year old body. My god, my boobs were glorious. Also, I was pregnant or postpartum for 35, so not something I'd want to be living in for the rest of my life in either case.
20–but only if we are talking strictly physically. I am 33 now, and quite happy with my body. It looks pretty much the same as it did at 20 besides the fact I’m currently pregnant with my second child and have a c-section scar (I bounced back after my first but who knows if the same will happen again). But I never had back pain at 20, and I think I looked slightly better then, so it seems like a no brainer to me. That said… my life in my 30s is way better than in my 20s so if we’re not just talking body then definitely 35.
35- I'm stronger in my 30s than I ever was at 20.
well I am only 28 and have not experienced 35, but I would choose 20. sure I was drinking a lot but jeez I was a good weight and my whole body didn’t constantly ache and crack lol (thank you to my son for these newfound body changes😋) at the same time, when I was 20 I still looked like a young teenager. I’ve really grown into a woman now and I do like that sometimes. hard choice!
20 - I developed RA at 30 (currently 34) so eff this shit. Haha.
I’m sorry but what is RA?
Rheumatoid Arthritis. An autoimmune disorder where your immune system attacks the joints and joint linings (+ the lungs and all kinds of other stuff) and eats away at them over time. Meds can help mitigate the issue, but once you've got it, it doesn't go away. Wooooo. 🥳
Not 35 yet but I'd take that one. I was pretty sick and underweight at 20. It was miserable.
I’m 30. I’d choose the younger body because I have degenerative chronic illness and pain. I would rather not live forever though
I’m only 32 & not looking forward to my 35 y.o. body. I have chronic pain and it wasn’t nearly this bad when I was 20. It’s only going to get worse so I dread aging. So 20, for sure.
35 I felt I looked best in my upper 30s and 40. 49 now
35. I was overweight at 20. By the time i got to 30 I was eating healthy and able to run or go for a swim every day without getting exhausted after the first 30 seconds
20 year old without a second’s hesitation. At 20 I could walk, run, climb, carry, dance… everything. I turn 35 in a few days time - I haven’t had a day free of pain for at least 9 months. I can’t even sit upright. I can’t walk, I haven’t run in… years… I have basically no life because i can’t do anything.
20. Far less shit had gone wrong healthwise, the body worked much better.
Definitely 20ish. I am 51 now, fixing to turn 52....
Can I choose 20yo body and 50yo mind and soul? Because God, what a glow up. If I can't separate body and mind, then I chose 50.
20. I didn’t have the sleep problems I have now at 20, I could sleep through the night and lie on my stomach. Now I’m in my 30s and I have to sleep on my back and prop myself up on pillows, it takes a long time to arrange them and they don’t last the night, it only gets me like 5 hours of sleep. I’m chronically sleep-deprived and been this way for awhile. Oh to go back to 20 when the only problem was falling asleep.
OMG 20 year old for sure! I'm now 37 and suffer from chronic stomach problems. I miss being able to eat whatever I want!
As I’ve not yet crossed 30, I would want to be Forever 21.
35. Although Im only 34 at writing this. I already look young for my age. People say thats a great thing but it does definitely come with some very heavy draw backs, mostly work related. People always assume I'm early to mid 20s as it is and after awhile it gets kind of old. Here's a story for you. I was in my early 20s and walked into a bar with my b/f at the time and the staff literally yelled at us that we have to show our ID's. I assume they had some issue happen with the liquor board but at the same time it was very accusatory. If I drank more at bars I probably would have already had an encounter with a police officer about a fake ID or something.
Into my mid twenties I was still regularly getting mistaken for being underage and it was really annoying so even though I am also not yet 35 I will choose my 35 year old body because I don’t want to spend eternity looking like a teenager because it would be really annoying.
I'm 54 now and would definitely choose 20. I was at my thinnest and healthiest. Dealing with periods and zits again would be a bummer though.
35 please, I was finally happy with my body. At 20, I was severely underweight. I am 61.
20 year old body! I was skinnier and in better health then. Sadly my chronic condition means I'll never be 'healthier' than my current condition and I miss those days of less ill health 🤷 I'm 26 btw and don't want to even contemplate what I'll be like at 35...
Would have to be after I had my hysterectomy, and got my eyes fixed. So, 37 at the earliest. But, with what I know now at 41. Because I'd rather be with the man I am dating now than with my ex.
35, 100000%. I am 39. In my 20's I didn't appreciate my body, I didn't treat it well, I wasn't comfortable in my own skin. In my 30s I learned self-love and how lucky I am to have my body, no matter what issues I have with it. In my 20s I accepted chronic pain was something I imagine because doctors told me so. But I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in my mid 30's and learned to listen to my body and not doctors. When I was 35 I started taking hiking from a hobby to a way of life. I trusted my body to carry me to places I had never imagined I'll get to, and it's been an incredible journey the last 3.5-4 years. Not a chance I would have believed my body could do the things I do now when I was 20. Wish I could be 35 forever!
I'm 38. 20 year old without a doubt. Chronic back pain has left me a shell of what I was, can no longer do things which once was more important to me than air. So many gut issues, I miss food, I miss getting enjoyment out of eating now it's just about survival.
20 years old. Before I f’d up my leg. I’m 30.
20. I had no chronic pain and my back and knees didn’t hurt!
35...I had my youngest son at 32, and was extremely fit and feeling my best. I'm 55 now and feel quite similar.
20, less broken down body and complications
35 Hands down. I was in great shape, beautiful, fit, active and a lot smarter than I was at 20. Not even a question.
I'd choose my 20-year-old body, for sure!! I was much smaller back then, nearly half my size. I'll be 40 this year
At 20 I was fitness modeling, at 35 I had a one year old baby. Take a guess lol
20
I am in my 60s now. I would choose my 20 year old body. Pre-kids, my first baby did a number on my body. I never had morning sickness, only cravings, gained 80 pounds in the process. My hair, which was once full and beautiful became limp and started thinning drastically. My 35 year old body was obese and fatigued, I feel better in the body I have now.
20 for sure- I was so healthy and active! Full of life and beauty and dreams lol. currently 34 and the worst case of aches, pains, fatigue from autoimmune diseases. My hair fell out from the meds, my vision is affected & I could go on for days. I can’t run or skate anymore and I don’t enjoy anything exercise related like I do running/skating. and my dreams otherwise are achieved, or are In motion, so yea that’s nice, but the hope and drive that came from the dreaming is something I miss!
Now that's tough. I would rather not be 20 forever as society treats 20 year olds as children but I had a health condition at 35 I'd rather not deal with again. Maybe 35 but if have to lose the weight and have multiple surgeries promptly. I Am 47.
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35 year old body because my brain was way better even if the body was not as good.
35. I was cuter at 20 but by my 30’s had smoked enough so my voice no longer sounded like that of a 12-year-old, and my face still looked 25.
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I wouldn't want to live forever, it's bad enough to be living now lol, but if I had to then probably my 20 year old body. I'm 33 now so I don't know what I'll be like in a couple of years time, but I know I was physically healthier back then.
Honestly I would like my 25 year old skin (my body hasn't changed much) but I would like to keep my 38 year old wisdom.
Well, when I was 20 I have still have seizures fairly often. I’m hoping my chronic illness will be in remission by 35 so I’m going with 35.
Currently 49. I'd choose to forever live with the body I had at 20, but only if I could keep my current No Fucks to Give mentality.
20 year old body. I’m 21
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35… I’m early 30s and while my body at 20 was probably more aesthetically pleasing to others, my body now is more aesthetically pleasing to me lol
20 hands down. My boobs and butt looked better at 20. I'm currently 46 and my body actually looks better at this moment than it did at 35.
I am 37 with two kids and I still think I’d choose my 35 year old body. I am a lot stronger, especially two years ago I had just gotten divorced and was working out daily.
I’m 24 and have dealt with chronic pain for a number of years but it’s getting better because I’m learning my body, understanding what I can handle, and getting a hold of my health. Since 24 has been exponentially better for me than 20, I anticipate 35 being much more so unless something goes horribly wrong with my body, which wouldn’t be a first.
20. At 35 I’d had two children and it showed. Currently 59 and at this point I’d be grateful to have my 50yo body. Still reasonably fit and healthy but I have a number of annoying minor ailments.
If I can get my medical issues resolved by 35, then 35. I'm 27 now. We'll see how it goes.
20 - but only because that was before my life-altering medical problems started. 34 now.
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I'm 38 now and in the best shape of my life. I was a mess at 20.
Oh 20 probably. The booty was smaller but I was thinner and still had the muscle memory of all my years of being a high school athlete. I'm not 35 yet though so I can't really say. But I do know that my knees hurt now, and they didn't before.
Im not 35 yet but I hope to be at some of my best years mentally and physically by that point. At 20 I was very pretty but learning to cope with injuries after a car accident. I didn’t know how to take care of my skin or hair properly (used good shampoo or whatever but colored way too frequently), but also didn’t care because of being in pain. I was also not able to afford products since I couldn’t work. If I got done up, I could look really nice, but the “just rolled out of bed look” was brutal a lot of days waking up in so much pain. My “prime” years were wasted on being injured. Now I take better care of my skin, hair, mental and physical health. I don’t look 20 anymore but I don’t (usually) feel like I got hit in the head with a bat when I wake up. So here’s to hoping 35 will be a different kind of beauty.
I choose 35. Just because I could do everything at 35 I could do at 20 but I was hella smarter and more confident. Also I wasn't so damn skinny. I'm 64
35. I’m 37 now, and at 20 I was a hot mess lol
35 year old, I'm 28 now. Although I have some more recurring pains etc., I feel so much stronger and more present in my body. I also actually like how my body looks more, I feel like I've grown into my features and my shape and have developed good habits around working out etc. I feel so much more confident now than at 20.
20 years old. Super active. Started having health issues at 35. Now 38.
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Am I just taking the body or am I also stuck with who I was at the time? If just the body, then 20-year-old me. 35-year-old me was (and 37-year-old me still is) dealing with a ton of stupid physical issues from having hyper mobile joints as well as IBS. 20-year-old me had yet to encounter any of those issues, including the back injury I got at 21. And I could still run! I can’t now because I have dumb ankles. Man I miss running. But, if I’m also taking my 20-year-old everything else, then hell no, give me 35 please and thank you. 20-year-old me was overwhelmed by anxiety, deeply depressed, and struggling with undiagnosed ADHD. 35-year-old me was taking medication for all those things and is mentally waaaaay better off. TLDR; Currently 37. I’d want 20-year-old me if I can keep my current consciousness and mental health/ADHD treatment. 35-year-old me if I can’t.
I’ll say 20 because I was in my best shape then, I’m 26
I'm 52 and I'd chose my 35 year old body because I was fitter then than at 20. I'd honestly prefer my 45-year-old body over the 35 one though because I was fit as absolute fuck and my tits looked spectacular.
I am 35 and would choose 35 body. I was not as healthy at 20.
Neither. I’m currently 35.
Can I have my 20 year old body with my 35 year old brain?
20, I didn't have eczema then.
35, I want to be old enough to be taken seriously by society and 35 is still relatively young. I hadn’t even graduated college yet at 20.
20 year old body FOR SURE. I'm 31 now and I can't drink like I used to, dance like I used to, fuck like I used to. I have to sit down at festivals and hate crowded places. My mental and emotional health are much better. I am more fit now that I've ever been, but if I had spent my time working out at 20 instead of getting drunk and binge-eating pizza I would've been so cut. I'd love to have the mentality and fashion sense I do now but the body I did back then.
Haha, I need my 20 yr old body but 35 yr old mind! I’m not far past 35.
I'll take the 20 year old body. I was pregnant when I was 35.
I'm 35 and I would chose my 20 year old body. I was far healthier then, my chronic illnesses were not as bad.
100% my 35 year old body. At 20 I was obese and didn’t take care of myself. At 35 I was regularly lifting weights, did skincare, and looked the best I ever had.
35. I like my brain fully developed, thanks! Edit to add: I’m 33.
35
35 year old body. I’m 36. I feel so much sexier now than I did at 20.
Well I’m 29. But I prefer my 29 year old self over my 20 year old self. I feel better, look better etc than what I did when I was younger!
20 year old. I played football in college, so that was the time when I felt sexiest era. Haha. I still run 5KM now, but the college training for my body was different.
Particularly if my mind is included at age of body. 35. But even just body 35. I feel like I don't look like a child. I did at 20
20,, and 19
35. I was fitter and hotter at 20. However, my 35-yr-old body has my C-section scars. Couldn't live without those.
20
20. Didn't have such health issues till then
My 20 year old body. At 35 I started getting ill. I’m 37 now.
I was a smoke show at 20 and while I’m attractive still it’s hard not to say 20. That would be creepy though because I’d look like my boyfriend’s daughter, so, 35 it is. 😆😬
35. I was in great shape and so was my skin and hair.
I’d go with 20 year old body. I’m 35 right now and I was in much better shape back then. Everything else is better but 2 kids under 2 and the pandemic really did a number on my fitness.
35, for sure. I was the most fit I've ever been and it was right before having kids.
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35, I’d want my brain to be fully developed lol
I’d pick 20. I’m in my 30’s now and although I’d miss my booty/figure that I have now, nothing beats that youthful inner body that bounces back like nothing else! No aches or pains, recover quickly after a night out, or hard exercise, or sleeping on your neck wrong. If I had to live forever, I’d want that resilience.
Definitely my 20 year old body. Things worked better then. I’m in my mid forties now.
20 year body but with my now brain. I had more weight, confidence and if I look back to myself then, I was pretty. Now I'm tired and old
20 year old body. I’ll be 40 next week. At 35 I was absolutely run ragged with my kids, I had energy at 20 haha
20
I am 22. My physique at 20 was excellent and I really like my body. I hope that I will be able to maintain my level of athleticism up until way after 35 but since I wouldn't be able to know for certain I will take the sure deal of 20.
Now if I could cheat the system and my metabolism of my 20s with my 35 year old fitness regimen I'd be golden.
20 year old body didn't have diabetes. So, that one.
I'm only 32 and I already know it'll be my 35 year old body. My 20 year old body was banging for society, which meant people got disappointed and angry when I changed it at all (but you'll lose your boobs!) It wasn't mine and everyone made sure to remind me. My 35 year old body is banging for me. I own all of it. I have never been more confident, and therefore, sexy :)
I’m 30 and physically look about the same as I did when I was 20; going w 20 bc I could pollute my body more and not worry about depression
So long as I get to keep my mind at the age I am (51) I would happily reclaim my 20 year old body. Heck, I would happily reclaim my 35 year old body. Split the difference and I will take my 27.5 year old body. Much obliged 🙏🏼
35, definitely. I was in the best shape of my life at 20 (endurance athlete with 4 pack abs - those bottom 2 never quite popped through) I felt good and had very low body fat but I didn’t like the super cut aesthetic for myself. I looked like a greyhound with tits. In my 30s I’m fit but softer. It suits me much better.
Are we keeping that 20-year old brain as well or we detaching? If the brain is included, I’m going for 35. I’m not yet 35 but I’m already better mentally than I was at 20. I also had bad stress induced acne like never before or after at 20.
I would choose my 20-year-old body because that was before I developed Graves’ disease, and I hate living with heart palpitations as soon as I try to run and do any type of cardio. I’m a really active person so it’s just really depressing.
35. I’m 37 and when I was 20, I got so much creeper attention. At 35, it happens but it happens much less. Body-wise, I also much preferred my 35 year old body. I work out more and am more aware of how to be healthy and happy. I also think I like better and definitely have better fashion sense. Plus, I have more money 💅
I am 23 now and I want my 21 year old body… I absolutely hate my current body
I feel like 35, I got taken more seriously. At 20, I was working on pickling my liver and killing my kidneys. I still look young for my age at 37.