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New here. From Canada.
Not actually 58 as my profile says. I am nearly 40 though.
Just making the best of my life.
A fairly introverted person.
Very thoughtful.
A number of interests.
Have many opinions/views but hey so does everyone.
Hope everyone is doing well.

Welcome. I hope you like it here.

welcome

Hey!

You just have to put your birthday in a completely different format than you're told to - there's a point about it in FAQ. I managed to get the age of 30, which is close enough to my 31. Unless, in your case it's a purposeful misinformation - then you achieved your goal


I like to have at least two conflicting views on each matter.

Welcome to Wrong Planet. There wasn't much in your introduction so I looked a little deeper. In another thread you wrote:

I am approaching age 40 and my goal is simply to be healthy. I don't enter any races though I did a 5km two years ago without much training and managed to run 20:44. (I ran in the low 16's many years ago)

Being healthy is a food quest. It helps to control some of the problems that we face in life. There are two elements to staying healthy. They are exercise and sleep. I have found that performing 1 hours of exercise each day helps to keep me healthy and prevents stress and burnout. I am 76 years old and I generally walk up and down a steep hill for an hour each day. Sometimes I go to the YMCA and swim a mile in the pool. Sleep is the other requirement to remain healthy. But one needs deep sleep in order to eliminate the stress. This type of sleep is called REM and deep NREM sleep. One needs about a total of 2 hours per night of this type of sleep in order to protect your brain from crashing.

I do have a sweet tooth and will likely continue to indulge. I try to get in fruits and vegetables every day and make healthy meals. Some people can cut sugar out of their diet completely. I've never tried and don't have any plans to.
I try to keep my BMI reasonable. 5'10 and around 170lbs was my weight the last time I checked.

I love sugar also. But it is very bad. But most imitation sugars are not a problem. There are so many types available now and they are easy to find and use. Also watch what you drink. Almost all carbonated beverages are bad, even the diet drinks.

I used to hit the gym and tried to attain a 225lb bench press. I came very close and managed 215lbs.
My 225lb attempt came close and I'm sure with more effort it is attainable.
I have put off this goal because I enjoy pushups more than lifting weights.

This type of exercise can be good for your body. Around 50 years ago, I was into weight lifting. I could lift over 450 pounds in a type of leg press. And at the time, I was around 140 pounds. But age can take a tool. This is an example of a modern day leg lift.

Welcome to Wrong Planet!

Welcome to WP! I hope you find it helpful.

Ahoy-hoy.

Welcome to Wrong Planet!

Thanks everyone for your replies.

@jimmy m

Yes, the things you have mentioned about diet and sleep are important. They are also common sense.
You have to get adequate rest and fuel your body properly.

Having said that, the diet/sleep part of maintaining your health is only one aspect.

That has been the easy part for me. the part I've struggled with - and I suspect many on the spectrum do as well -
is the isolation.

I am nearly 40 years of age. My birthday is fast aproaching. I'm not exactly old, but I'm not a 'young man' anymore.

I live independently and have 1 or 2 close friends, but I have no employment. I am isolated.
Living in isolation is a death sentence.

I need to find more people in my life, whether through employment or other means.
I am capable of doing some kind of work but I haven't found anything.

I've had many jobs in the past including being a pro. musician. I grew tired of that though. I am not longer active in music
aside from casually playing the piano on occasion.

I have been living on disability for approximately 5 years.

I am surviving but not thriving. I wish I had more meaning in my life. I am articulate, have decent social skills and can get along with most people. Yet I am not doing much of anything productive.

I try to remain optimistic but life can get depressing.

You are a professional musician but have not worked for around 5 years and currently you are unemployed. You wrote, "I live independently and have 1 or 2 close friends, but I have no employment. I am isolated. Living in isolation is a death sentence.

O.K. then why don't you break the isolation. You probably have time on your hands, so go out and meet new people, make some new friends. Even though you are an introvert, it does not prevent you from meeting others. I would not start by going to bars but rather going to churches.

There are other people in your community have similar qualities. If you can play instruments, find a church and play in their choir.

Meeting people and making new friends can open doors.

Thanks but I am not interested in churches as I do not share their religious beliefs, nor am I interested in playing music
in a setting I have no interest in being a part of.

It would be nice to find a social group. I am not a church goer.

I don't go to bars because I choose not to drink liquor.

One setting that I thought would pique my interest was a weekly 5km race held every saturday morning.
These are held worldwide and are known as Park Runs.

Given my background as a competitive runner and interest in health & fitness, I have made an honest effort to
be a part of these events. I've partaken in one of their races and have volunteered at a handful of them.

However, I have found no meaningful connections there which has been disappointing.

I can think of two candidate ways to mingle with folk. I don't know if either is viable for you.

(1) Volunteer. The Red Cross comes to mind but there are probably others (like at museums). While at it you'd meet other volunteers and the activities you do for the charity would provide structure and shared purpose.

(2) College classes. Not working toward a degree. Not a fancy college. Just a cheap local community college in a class you'd find interesting. And where you might meet others that share that interest with you.

Double Retired provides some good advice. A quick search on the internet provides:

Join a group or club. Find a local group where people with interests like yours meet regularly. Try a book club, religious group, parent meetup, music group, or biking group. “The key is to fish in the right pond,” Grossman says.

Take a class. Sign up for a class at your local college, senior center, or gym. Learn Italian, dancing, or a new card game. When the topic interests you, you’re likely to find people who share your passion.

Look locally. You may be surprised by how many events are happening right in your community. Look in your local newspaper or community bulletin boards. Go online for neighborhood listings. Search the name of your city plus the words “social network” or “meetups.”

Volunteer. People who work together often form strong connections. Meet people by volunteering with a community center, charitable group, hospital, museum, or place of worship.

Join a social circle. One of the easiest ways to meet people is to surround yourself with people who have large friend groups of their own, O’Brien says. “You may already have people in your life who have a lot of friends,” she says. Join them when they invite you out. Ask for introductions. Take the first step and start a conversation with someone new.

Hello and welcome from south of the border! Introvert here too. Nice to meet you