Getting Fit: Shedding Pounds and Achieving Goals Together

[Ivan Seeking]

That's great. I've been able to lose a few pounds even with the rain here. We play in between the rain. My last two matches were killers. I was totally exhausted after each, but managed to pull out close wins against much younger opponents. On Wednesday I practiced at 9am and 2pm, then played a 3 hour match at 6pm. On Friday I rode my bicycle for 3 hours, then played a two hour match. I'm still a bit sore, but, imho, better off for having done that.

But I still have a bit of a ... gut. What's up with that? Is it even possible that I might ever get rid of the ... gut? I would certainly like to. Even though it doesn't seem to be an important factor wrt ... anything. I just don't like the way it looks.

I have a friend who is 68 and can hold his own with twenty-year-olds in competitive bicycle racing! The guy is amazing. He has been a big part of my motivation to get in better shape.

As for the gut, dunno. Have you tried dieting in addition to exercise? I'm losing my gut so fast that every day is a new clothing adventure - which pants fall down now?

 

[ThomasT]

As for the gut, dunno. Have you tried dieting in addition to exercise?

I just ate about a pound of baked beans, a pound of potato salad, and about a 3/4 pound hamburger with lots of sweet relish ... so, no. I'm now craving some sort of ice cream treat. About a half gallon should do. With chocolate or strawberries of whatever.

Ok, I think we've narrowed the problem down to diet.

I'm losing my gut so fast that every day is a new clothing adventure - which pants fall down now?

I have suit pants (really nice and expensive suits) that I can't wear because of my middle section preponderance of weight. I'm happy for you that you're losing your gut (rub it in), but I'm not going to cut down on eating the stuff I like just to lose weight.

I'm going to eat an entire pizza pie now.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I have suit pants (really nice and expensive suits) that I can't wear because of my middle section preponderance of weight. I'm happy for you that you're losing your gut (rub it in), but I'm not going to cut down on eating the stuff I like just to lose weight.

I'm going to eat an entire pizza pie now.

I have moderate problems with blood sugar - metabolic syndrome - and a high-protein diet serves me well. I feel so much better that the changes have been relatively easy.

I can't eat a lot of carbs now without sending myself into a blood sugar crisis. On the up side, I am almost certain that it would be impossible for me to have a drinking problem. I tend to pass out from the carbs before I ever get drunk! I started drinking a little beer lately [technically the first time I've drank [much] since my 21st birthday!]. My limit is one per day. Anything more than that and I'm in a blood sugar crisis for hours.

 

[OmCheeto]

The rainy season here lasts from about Aug 30 to Aug 1st. This is why Oregon doesn't produce any tennis stars.

http://meanwhilepics.com/images/meanwhile/Meanwhile_In_Oregon.jpg

Apparently other Goonies have taken up the new aerobic exercise: "take your fish for a walk".

Shhhhh! Don't spread this around, or they'll introduce a freakin' leash law...

 

[ThomasT]

I have moderate problems with blood sugar - metabolic syndrome - and a high-protein diet serves me well. I feel so much better that the changes have been relatively easy.

I can't eat a lot of carbs now without sending myself into a blood sugar crisis. On the up side, I am almost certain that it would be impossible for me to have a drinking problem. I tend to pass out from the carbs before I ever get drunk! I started drinking a little beer lately [technically the first time I've drank [much] since my 21st birthday!]. My limit is one per day. Anything more than that and I'm in a blood sugar crisis for hours.

That's rough. But the upside is that you can drink a beer once in a while, and eat lots of meat, eh?

 

[ThomasT]

@ Om,
Your posts never cease to amaze me. Am I just a bit slow, or what? (No need to answer that.) Some of them I do get ... I think.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

That's rough. But the upside is that you can drink a beer once in a while, and eat lots of meat, eh?

Yeah, it's hard to hate a diet where a Carl's Jr., Six Dollar Bacon Guacamole Burger [lettuce wrap, no bun], and BBQ'd steak, are on the menu.

There are some really good low-sugar ice creams now, as well. But you have to watch those and anything that uses sucralose as a sweetener - too much has bad consequences the next day!

I found a surprisingly simple and tasty recipe for pizza crust made from cauliflower [Really!]. That puts pizza back on the menu, as well!

 

[ThomasT]

Yeah, it's hard to hate a diet where a Carl's Jr., Six Dollar Bacon Guacamole Burger [lettuce wrap, no bun], and BBQ'd steak, are on the menu.

Oh maaan ... I'm going to have me a bacon burger (along with the pizza).

There are some really good low-sugar ice creams now, as well. But you have to watch those and anything that uses sucralose as a sweetener - too much has bad consequences the next day!

I care nought for low sugar anything. For when I crave sugar, then I consume it. To be honest though, I don't really eat sweets very much. Maybe once a month, if that. I eat stews with meat and vegetables, and drink lots of water, mostly. Of course there's the occasional pizza, and the 12 beers or so per night.

I found a surprisingly simple and tasty recipe for pizza crust made from cauliflower [Really!]. That puts pizza back on the menu, as well!

That's just disgusting to me. I don't even like the way cauliflower smells. Haven't eaten it since about '74.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Oh maaan ... I'm going to have me a bacon burger (along with the pizza).

It's hard to beat a great bacon burger.

I don't even like the way cauliflower smells. Haven't eaten it since about '74.

See, that's the really interesting part; me either! I hate cauliflower.

 

[Illuminerdi]

See, that's the really interesting part; me either! I hate cauliflower.

Even in curries?
Even when it's roasted with onion?

 

[mathal]

I worked in the bush planting trees most of my adult life-26 to 59. It's a piece work job, manual labour out in any weather except a full-on snowstorm. I never had to think about what I ate in terms of weight loss.
I've been retired now for 3 years and to avoid the pudge that I always developed in the off- season (winter) (and lost in the first month of work) I've had to completely alter what's going in on a daily basis.
What works for me is avoiding all processed foods-i.e. food in a square box. -That and junk food like chips that I used to have with dips or smothered in cheese and salsa with beer-still drink beer-home made -manual labour just gets you govt. pension- in three years if I'm still kickin'.
I don't mind eggplant or cauliflower or whatever occasionally but find half of it wastes away, as I am single and if I don't eat it at least every second day it spoils and I don't eat it every other day when I buy it.
Lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers and mushrooms are the only versatile veggies I have found.
Any others?
mathal

 

[ThomasT]

I worked in the bush planting trees most of my adult life-26 to 59. It's a piece work job, manual labour out in any weather except a full-on snowstorm. I never had to think about what I ate in terms of weight loss.
I've been retired now for 3 years and to avoid the pudge that I always developed in the off- season (winter) (and lost in the first month of work) I've had to completely alter what's going in on a daily basis.
What works for me is avoiding all processed foods-i.e. food in a square box. -That and junk food like chips that I used to have with dips or smothered in cheese and salsa with beer-still drink beer-home made -manual labour just gets you govt. pension- in three years if I'm still kickin'.
I don't mind eggplant or cauliflower or whatever occasionally but find half of it wastes away, as I am single and if I don't eat it at least every second day it spoils and I don't eat it every other day when I buy it.
Lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers and mushrooms are the only versatile veggies I have found.
Any others?
mathal

Onions. Chili is another favorite of mine, combining onions, tomatoes, green peppers, red peppers, ground beef, and spices. You can add other stuff like mushrooms also. I think I'll make some today. Eating chili and stews instead of snack foods such as you mentioned has, I think, somewhat minimized my gut. That is, it could be worse than it is.

 

[lisab]

Onions. Chili is another favorite of mine, combining onions, tomatoes, green peppers, red peppers, ground beef, and spices. You can add other stuff like mushrooms also. I think I'll make some today. Eating chili and stews instead of snack foods such as you mentioned has, I think, somewhat minimized my gut. That is, it could be worse than it is.

Sounds nice - maybe I'll make some chili, too . Ivan is right, a lot of carbs seems bad for the gut.

mathal - potatoes keep well, just keep them out of the light. Once the skin starts turning green they're no good. Carrots will keep for a long time too, and celery and broccoli.

 

[Andre]

Once the skin starts turning green they're no good.

Looking at your ermm avatar hmm

 

[lisab]

Looking at your ermm avatar hmm

Good thing I'm not a potato !

 

[ThomasT]

Ivan is right, a lot of carbs seems bad for the gut.

Yes. I don't slip often (with the high carb snacks), but when I do I tend to go overboard and reverse the effects of the better diet during previous weeks. By the way, I was just kidding about drinking 12 beers a night.

 

[Astronuc]

http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/7-ways-body-swimsuit-ready-starting-now-160600678.html

Get your sweat on with strength training! If you want to feel good in your bathing suit, this is non-negotiable: Fit your workout in, no excuses! Commit to a full-body strength-training program at least three times a week to burn calories during the workout, boost your metabolism's calorie-burning power for 24 to 48 hours after, and develop lean muscles that look and feel better than flab. Perform exercises that use more than one muscle group such as squats, pushups, rows, and lunges in a circuit to make your workouts most efficient. Tip: Try working out in the morning to get your metabolism revved up for the rest of the day.
. . . .

 

[Ivan Seeking]

http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/7-ways-body-swimsuit-ready-starting-now-160600678.html

Yep, luckily I have always had an affinity for weight training. It has been the easiest regular routine to pick up again. Of course I am much more careful due to my age and lack of maintenance, than I was at twenty! What I call a workout now was once barely a warmup.

Also, by lifting weights, as opposed to other forms of exercise, I can avoid or minimize the types of motion that cause me problems. And I seem to be doing okay with most lifts, which is surprising.

 

[lisab]

Yep, luckily I have always had an affinity for weight training. It has been the easiest regular routine to pick up again. Of course I am much more careful due to my age and lack of maintenance, than I was at twenty! What I call a workout now was once barely a warmup.

Also, by lifting weights, as opposed to other forms of exercise, I can avoid or minimize the types of motion that cause me problems. And I seem to be doing okay with most lifts, which is surprising.

Me too, I love lifting, either just for sport or as part of a task. I often think I was truly meant to be a manual laborer - I love how I feel at the end of a long, hard, physical day. I never feel that way after a long day solving physics/math/engineering problems - sitting so long hurts!

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Me too, I love lifting, either just for sport or as part of a task. I often think I was truly meant to be a manual laborer - I love how I feel at the end of a long, hard, physical day. I never feel that way after a long day solving physics/math/engineering problems - sitting so long hurts!

When I was in my late teens I did some really tough manual labor work. It didn't take much of that to dismiss the idea of skipping college [my return to college]. Probably the worst job was working as a plumber. I was part of a large crew retrofitting appartments as condo conversions. We had to run individual gas lines to each unit in a large complex. I spent a large percentage of a summer carrying [IIRC] 18 ft lengths of 1-inch pipe, three stories up a ladder. Being that we were young men given a task, it was a competition to see who could carry the most at once. I was in great shape when I started the job, but by the end of that summer, I was one tan, buff, lean, mean, machine. I may have been doing close to 200 Lbs per load in the end. That job ended when I got the job working on CAT Scanners [Thank God!].

As far as lifting weights, I still love the burn. I'm still keeping it light and doing lots of reps, but I've been tempted to start adding weight. Soon...

Huh, I just remembered that on almost my last load of pipe ever carried, the load started to twist just as I was stepping from the ladder onto the roof. I came a breath away from taking a three-story dive onto concrete. So point number two would be that manual labor is often dangerous work.

 

[turbo]

I always loved manual labor. Repetitive, heavy work makes the day go by and when you get home you have a feeling of relaxation and satisfaction. The downside was that it didn't pay all that much.

I never got into really decent pay until I started troubleshooting/consulting. Unfortunately, that led to sedentary evenings in motels and fast-food joints far from home. I managed to keep my weight under control, but it was hard. If you are going to eat at BK, Arby's, McDonalds, etc, it is very tough to make intelligent choices. It is too easy to order up a double cheeseburger and a small (to keep weight down ) order of fries, instead of something healthier.

 

[Evo]

I find a long bout of severe diarhea is a great way to lose weight fast without having to cut back on food. I've lost 25 pounds in the last few months.

 

[turbo]

I find a long bout of severe diarhea is a great way to lose weight fast without having to cut back on food. I've lost 25 pounds in the last few months.

That's a sure way to lose vital nutrients, along with weight. Have you had any blood-work done to see if stuff is in balance? People all around the world die from this.

 

[Evo]

That's a sure way to lose vital nutrients, along with weight. Have you had any blood-work done to see if stuff is in balance? People all around the world die from this.

Yeah, tons of tests. I'm used to it now.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I find a long bout of severe diarhea is a great way to lose weight fast without having to cut back on food. I've lost 25 pounds in the last few months.

Yikes! Sorry to hear that, Evo. I knew you were having problems but I didn't realize it's so bad.

I may stick with the weights and whey protein for a time before trying that method. It's too far up the hill to the house! Of course, on the upside, I would do a lot of sprints.

 

[Astronuc]

When I was in my late teens I did some really tough manual labor work. It didn't take much of that to dismiss the idea of skipping college [my return to college]. Probably the worst job was working as a plumber. I was part of a large crew retrofitting appartments as condo conversions. We had to run individual gas lines to each unit in a large complex. I spent a large percentage of a summer carrying [IIRC] 18 ft lengths of 1-inch pipe, three stories up a ladder. Being that we were young men given a task, it was a competition to see who could carry the most at once. I was in great shape when I started the job, but by the end of that summer, I was one tan, buff, lean, mean, machine. I may have been doing close to 200 Lbs per load in the end. That job ended when I got the job working on CAT Scanners [Thank God!].

During summers 1979 to 1981, I did iron work, which I really enjoyed (the higher, the better). After 8 to 10 hours of hefting iron in the hot Texas sun, I'd get home and go running 3 or 4 or more miles, and finish with a quarter mile sprint. On the weekends, I'd play soccer or go to the beach.

As far as lifting weights, I still love the burn. I'm still keeping it light and doing lots of reps, but I've been tempted to start adding weight. Soon...

I'm doing to some light weight training now, but I plan to ramp it up.

Huh, I just remembered that on almost my last load of pipe ever carried, the load started to twist just as I was stepping from the ladder onto the roof. I came a breath away from taking a three-story dive onto concrete. So point number two would be that manual labor is often dangerous work.

I've had a few close calls like that, and I've seen two guys near me fall. Both survived, one because he bounced between the building and the scaffolding on the way down - otherwise he would have broken both his legs and back.

 

[Astronuc]

I find a long bout of severe diarhea is a great way to lose weight fast without having to cut back on food. I've lost 25 pounds in the last few months.

Um - that's really serious - especially with that kind of weight loss.

 

[Evo]

Um - that's really serious - especially with that kind of weight loss.

After 5 months, it's the new norm. It's actually slowed down the last week and I'm concerned about going in the opposite direction. I'm used to odd things coming and going now. I'm pulling the thread off topic since it's about intentional weightloss, but I'm glad I still had some old smaller clothing to wear. Unfortunately, as usual, most of the weight loss is in my already thin legs and arms. Evo Child commented on how thin my arms are. I still have a pot belly though.

 

[Astronuc]

Weight training program attributed to Bruce Lee:

Shoulders: Clean and presses: 2 sets, 8 reps
Lats: Barbell pullovers: 2 sets, 8 reps
Biceps: Barbell curls: 2 sets, 8 reps
Chest: Bench-presses: 2 sets, 6 reps
Lower Back/Glutes/Hamstrings: Good mornings: 2 sets, 8 reps
Quads: Squats: 2 sets, 12 reps
Abs:
• Waist Twists: 4 sets, 90 repetitions
• Sit up Twist: 4 sets, 20 repetitions
• Leg Raises: 4 sets, 20 repetitions
• Leaning Twist: 4 sets, 50 repetitions

Bruce Lee's training emphasized toning and compound exercises rather than concentration and mass. Bodybuilding played only a small part in his physical conditioning, with stretching and aerobics taking up the rest of his exercise cycle. He would perform this weight-lifting routine every other day.

 

[ThomasT]

I've noticed that during that last two tennis matches I played, my energy level seemed lower. That is, I felt lethargic at certain points in the matches.

I've cut down on carbs. Could this be the reason?