# Whipping myself into shape



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

A year has passed since I decided to try and improve my health.

Initially I and my boss, with whom I travel regularly, observed that most of the hotels we stay at have decent fitness romms and some have excellent ones, or give guest passes to full service gyms. That being free, we talked about getting in shape and losing some weight.

So on April 16, 2010 while staying at a hotel near Atlanta, We first started excercising. I did about forty minutes on a treadmill that evening. After that I tried to do the same at the hotels and about a month later bought a memership at a local gym.

From there I gradually escalated my frequency and intensity of exercise and after a few months I added some weight training. I also made efforts to improve and correct my diet, which was apallingly bad. I eat a lot of fish now and more fruits and vegetables than before. I've almost completely eliminated fried foods.

Anyway, a year ago, I weighed 235 at least. I'm not sure where i maxed out as I didn't weigh myself for several months before I started and not for a few weeks after I started.

I was wearing 38 inch waisted pants, but they were so tight I was damaging most of them.

My blood pressure was dangerously high.


This is around 2008 and not a great picture but you get the idea.










Now and since about October, I'm between 185 and 190 lbs, I wear a 32 inch waist, which fits a bit loosely and my blood pressure is just slightly high on the top number and smack dab in the healthy range on the bottom number.

I still ain't pretty but I'm a lot healthier, both physically and emotionally.


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## fretboard (May 31, 2006)

Impressive stuff - well done.

My wife and I are about a month into cleaning up our lifestyles and getting back to being active again. Stuff for us - not just out with the kids at the park or whatever. It'd be nice if we could jump ahead to the "after" picture right now - but apparently it doesn't work that way.

Good for you, man. Keep it up.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Thanks man. I think it's pretty simple. For me it's just a matter of trying to maintain a positive trend. I never really set any short term goals. I think it has to be a life style change. 

Best of luck.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Very well done. That is motivating.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

You have to be feeling much better as well mike. I am way over due myself. When I first went on the road in 1994 I was 205 and about two years later I was at 255. I am in the 240 range right now but need to knock off 25 at least. good for you


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

GuitarsCanada said:


> You have to be feeling much better as well mike. I am way over due myself. When I first went on the road in 1994 I was 205 and about two years later I was at 255. I am in the 240 range right now but need to knock off 25 at least. good for you
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Yes, no question about it. I feel better in a number of ways. Little complaints I used to have such as heartburn, indijestion, head aches, and general lack of energy are pretty much history. I used to pop zantac and tums like they were going out of style. I don't need them at all now. In fact I can't recall the last time I had heartburn.

Also, my resoiratory system is just way, way better. I have always had problems with bronchitis and once or twice it turned into pneumonia. These days if I get a cold it's barely noticeable and gone in less than two weeks. Maybe my immune system has been fortified by this fitness thing.

Add to that the confidence of not being self conscious about my appearance and this has been a fundamental change in my life. I figure I pissed away the first half of my life and I'm going to make the most of the second half.

It's 7:45 on a Saturday morning. I'm heading to the gym while the rest of my family sleeps.

I encourage anyone considering such a change (to whatever extent you think is reasonable) to take the first step. You can't look at the whole process. It's like looking at building a house as one task. Better to look at it as a whole bunch of small tasks. The most important step is the first.

Thanks for the encouragement.


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## Alex Csank (Jul 22, 2010)

Great stuff! I have lost about 45 pounds since last summer and I work out or go for long power-walks at least three times a week plus I eat right and try and walk just about everywhere I can, but still have a ways to go before I can call myself in 'great shape'. Too many years of living dangerously have definitely made it harder to 'get there'. I probably won't ever run a marathon, but I'm hoping to get back to my 'fighting weight' of about 200 - 210 lbs (a little under 100kgs for us Canuckistanians) within the next six months. If I can do that, I'll be back where I was when I graduated from basic training when I was 25!


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Not to be confused withe bacon thread.. great stuff... where's my own plan?


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

Wow, really impressive!
Congratulations and good for you. You'll live way longer and rock on for at least another 45 years! 

One question, how did you manage the "get into the gym world"? For me, it's the deal breaker. I love running outside and doing some basics training at home but the gym is impossible. I hate all the tough guys how just push you 'cause they 'need' the machine or dumble. I am really skinny (6'2'' and 155 lbs) and litlle shy and I am not feeling confortable in those places.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Ron - if the gym you go to fosters that kind of atmosphere, find another gym to try. The YMCA's are a little more expensive than most gyms ($60/mo here) but, at least locally, are clean and well maintained. I have 2 kids who go to the local one and they have no reports of any sort of intimidation. My other son is 5'8" and about 120 lbs, he goes to Gold's and I haven't heard him say anything negative about their atmosphere either.

Mike - C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S, I love stories like yours.

Me, I turned 48 last week and am lucky, have never really struggled with weight. I'm 6' on the button, and was in at 183lbs the other day - at that, I'm probably 15 lbs overweight but my doctor just laughs when I suggest it. I am definitely too sedentary, and in the past couple weeks have started to do stretches, light calisthetics (sp?) and a bit of weight training. I used to golf a lot, but the past 15 yrs or so it's 1-2 rounds a year. I've decided to get back into it this year, so my level of fitness and flexibility has to improve for me to get my game in shape.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Ti-Ron said:


> Wow, really impressive!
> Congratulations and good for you. You'll live way longer and rock on for at least another 45 years!
> 
> One question, how did you manage the "get into the gym world"? For me, it's the deal breaker. I love running outside and doing some basics training at home but the gym is impossible. I hate all the tough guys how just push you 'cause they 'need' the machine or dumble. I am really skinny (6'2'' and 155 lbs) and litlle shy and I am not feeling confortable in those places.


I can relate man. I'm completely NOT a gym guy. I have never been athletic or a sports oriented person. The thing is, you go to a gym and there are people of all levels of fitness there. Somehow you have to focus on what YOU are there for and do your own thing. I suppose some gyms are more focussed on muscle builders and some are more family oriented.

I look around and see some people who are just starting their journey and others who are obviously life long fitness freaks. I'm somewhere in the middle. I work my ass off when I go there and I'm soaked with sweat about 7:00 minutes after I hit the eliptical. I'm not there to socialize or to impress anyone. I go, do my thing and leave. After a few months you get to the point where you feel comfortable and aren't intimidated by anyone.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Thanks everyone. Today is actually the one year anniversary. I hit the gym already this morning and then took a load of household garbage to the dump. The rest of the day is gravy (low sodium gravy I suppose).

I'm happy and proud of what I've managed to do but this is not a "before and after" thread. It's a "before and during" thread. I started out with the simple goal to lose some weight and get more fit. I didn't say, I want to lose 50 pounds in six months or anything like that. 

This is now a fundamental part of my life and unless there's something legitimately preventing me from doing so, I excercise every day. For me, that's much easier than worrying about milestones.

Again, if you're thinking about doing something similar, good luck. It can be done. Hell if I can do it ANYone can.


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

That's awesome and inspiring. Good for you and thanks for sharing. I'm a little over 40 and was tipping the scales at an unhealthy 285lbs after a car accident in 2007. Now that my back is as good as it's gonna get I'm trying to climb out of my fat hole and get back into shape. I'm down to about 250lbs now but still have at least another 30lbs to go. I was out of town for work last night and while the guys I was with were indulging in some scotch and pizza (what a combo!) I was in the hotel gym pumping out reps. I agree with you, it totally about lifestyle change. Keep it up Milkman


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Stratin2traynor said:


> That's awesome and inspiring. Good for you and thanks for sharing. I'm a little over 40 and was tipping the scales at an unhealthy 285lbs after a car accident in 2007. Now that my back is as good as it's gonna get I'm trying to climb out of my fat hole and get back into shape. I'm down to about 250lbs now but still have at least another 30lbs to go. I was out of town for work last night and while the guys I was with were indulging in some scotch and pizza (what a combo!) I was in the hotel gym pumping out reps. I agree with you, it totally about lifestyle change.
> 
> Keep it up Milkman


Right back at ya man. As I'm sure you know, when it comes to losing pounds, about 70% of it is diet. The exercise helps by raising your metabolism and of course has clear benefits in terms of cardio and respiratory health, but what you eat is the key.

Slow and steady. Good luck. Stick with it.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

I don't think whipping does anything positive!  Good on ya


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Milkman said:


> Right back at ya man. As I'm sure you know, when it comes to losing pounds, about 70% of it is diet. The exercise helps by raising your metabolism and of course has clear benefits in terms of cardio and respiratory health, but what you eat is the key.
> 
> Slow and steady. Good luck. Stick with it.


I can vouch for this and say that the % was even higher in my case. I quit smoking about 3 years ago and snacked myself to an all time high of 199 lbs (I like to tell myself I never crossed that next double aught). I did and still do drink a fair amount of pop. I replaced the Pepsi's with water, and ate until I was satisfied rather than stuffed (mrs keto loves to cook and overfeed us all, thank god for the 'skinny' gene on my Dad's side, which my 3 kids seem to have inherited as well), and did ZERO more exercise, and dropped under 175 in about 5 months. So 5 lbs a month just taking reasonable care, never went to a healthier diet, never went hungry, never broke a sweat.

Slow and steady indeed, best wishes Stratin.


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

This thread is inspiring and discouraging at once for me. I have yo-yoed over the last 3 years and am currently at an all time high of 250lbs and as sedentry as I get. Just as the weather was inspiring me to get out and walk, we have winter here again. Is anybody interested in a GC weight loss support thread?


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I would like to add that although diet is a huge factor in losing weight, for me at least, I had no desire to transform myself from a big fat tub of goo into a skinny tub of goo. I apologize for the negative terms but hey, I'm talking about myself so...

Excess weight is only one problem. A weak cardio and respiratory system needs exercise to improve. Your muscle tone will also not change simply by dieting. I hate to sound like an expert because nothing could be further from the truth, but I'm most proud of the fact that I was able to change my nature from that of a couch potato to that of a much more active person.

The cool thing about attacking it from both dietary and exercise perspectives is that when the fat does come off, there's something good waiting beneath the surface.

Good luck everyone.


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## Fader (Mar 10, 2009)

When ever I feel the need to exercise, I just lay down until it passes. 

But I may just get out and hit the trails again. Thanks for the inspiration Milkman.


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

Milkman said:


> I would like to add that although diet is a huge factor in losing weight, for me at least, I had no desire to transform myself from a big fat tub of goo into a skinny tub of goo. I apologize for the negative terms but hey, I'm talking about myself so...


Indeed...too many people just think "as long as I am thin(ner), can fit into, look,..."


Milkman said:


> Excess weight is only one problem. A weak cardio and respiratory system needs exercise to improve. Your muscle tone will also not change simply by dieting. I hate to sound like an expert because nothing could be further from the truth, but I'm most proud of the fact that I was able to change my nature from that of a couch potato to that of a much more active person.
> 
> The cool thing about attacking it from both dietary and exercise perspectives is that when the fat does come off, there's something good waiting beneath the surface.


That is all true. I still hear people say "yes, he had a heart attack and he wasn't even over weight!!"

The key thing is that humans, even two generations ago had to WORK a lot harder than they do now. Only several hundred years ago we had to forage perhaps 10 hours per day and anything that 'we' achieved was due to a fair amount of labour. If we had the 'health care' that we have today 5 generations ago those people would have pushed the life expectancy way up...but as our health care got better, the rest of out technological advances got 'better' as well so now we can drive in a metal & plastic box up to a window and have food passed to us through that window. The WORK that has been replaced with 'desk time' (and similar) needs to be replaced with physical activity.

Hunger is a feeling. Often it is felt before it needs to be acted upon yet after one is conditioned through exercise it becomes a frequent part of the regimen.

Exercise tends to stimulate most of the things that keep one feeling young and looking young and also tends to create the conditions that are better for the body. As with anything, taken to extremes for long periods of time, it can be detrimental but it is something that should be part of one's life.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Some of life expectancy is genetic, too. On the one hand, my grampa (maternal) worked into his 70's in a lumber mill and in his LATE 90's was doing a fairly long daily walk to go meet his buddies for coffee every day (took his driver's lic away at 94). Lived to 102 and, at 100, I wouldn't have bet against him to arm wrestle ANYONE on these boards....he was short but square, built like a brick ****house as they say. That side of the family was fairly clean living, grandma passed away at 97 2 weeks before him (the main reason he died, if it hadn't broken his heart I think he could have lived another 10 years - he just stopped eating). 

On the other hand, my grandma (paternal) on the other side, who has been almost totally sedentary for the past 20+ years, is kicking along in fine health and will be 96 this summer. I remember her being 40 lbs overweight and, besides a little gardening, fairly sedentary + smoker + fairly heavy drinker 40 years ago. Grampa was significantly overweight and sedentary, prostate cancer got him at 84. His father lived to 89, mother to 96.

So, I don't know what to expect for myself - I don't eat like I should, smoke, but have zero medical issues at 48 (and don't really look my age I'm told) and weight is in the healthy range of the body mass index scale (do they still use that?). My mom's 68 but looking like 50's and might live as long as her parents. Dad passed away at 66, stomach cancer - was a lifelong heavy smoker, the doctors told him it was likely 0 contributing factor to his cancer and his lungs were 90%+. You just never know.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Good points guys. I would like to add that in my opinion, one shouldn't only consider the quantity of life, but the quality.

Hell, I could be run over by a zamboni tomorrow, but at least for the past year or so I've been steadily feeling and looking (well from the neck down at least) better.

I'm actually to the point where I'm carfully trying to ADD a few pounds, while continuing to decrease body fat. That takes a shift in my approach at the gym. Fortunately I have a great trainer who listens and understands my goals and directs me accordingly.


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

Genetics certainly can influence the odds and so on but taking care of one's physical self not only makes every physical act easier but helps with clarity of thought and quality of sleep as well. Until they unravel the genome stuff, it is far better to do the maintenance and reap the rewards of it because it really is an all-encompassing thing for a very small investment of time in the grand scheme of things.

It's good to have that trainer that suits your needs and who you are comfortable with too...trying to get all of the info that is out there & attempting to stay current can be far more of a daunting task than actually following through with the workout itself!!


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

smorgdonkey said:


> Genetics certainly can influence the odds and so on but taking care of one's physical self not only makes every physical act easier but helps with clarity of thought and quality of sleep as well. Until they unravel the genome stuff, it is far better to do the maintenance and reap the rewards of it because it really is an all-encompassing thing for a very small investment of time in the grand scheme of things.
> 
> It's good to have that trainer that suits your needs and who you are comfortable with too...trying to get all of the info that is out there & attempting to stay current can be far more of a daunting task than actually following through with the workout itself!!


Well it's a bit of a self indulgence and a bit extravagant, but because I have absolutely no background in fitness (I was one of the guys who ditched Phys Ed class to get high) or sports I felt it was important to get some remedial education, in terms of content and form, but also in terms of nutrition. I don't need a drill sargent. I need a mentor and advisor.

I won't continue indifinitely with the PT, but I'm getting huge benefit from the sessions, which I do once a week on average. I take what I learn from him and apply it to my other regular work outs.

When I do a leg work out with him on Monday, it takes until at least Friday before I'm walking normally again, LOL.


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## Peter (Mar 25, 2008)

Great inspiration in this thread as I've just recently started on a similar journey back to health myself.

On a music related note, do you notice any difference in your stamina when singing/playing lately, Milkman?


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Peter said:


> Great inspiration in this thread as I've just recently started on a similar journey back to health myself.
> 
> On a music related note, do you notice any difference in your stamina when singing/playing lately, Milkman?



I'm sure I will. I've just started putting something back together. I've been doing sound and lights for several years now (bit of a hiatus from performing).

Good luck on your mission!


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I had a fitness assesment last night. It's one of the services I pay for at my gym and it's a very detailed physical examination. They measure a LOT of stuff and give me a detailed report. 

My body age is now 42 (was 46 at Christmas). FWIW I'm 50. 

I've lost 6 pounds of fat and gained 5 pounds of muscle. I've made gains in strength, cardio and added an inch to each bicep and two inces to each thigh. 

Body fat is now 12%. 

I still have lots of room for improvement but I'm clearly on a positive trend.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Peter said:


> Great inspiration in this thread as I've just recently started on a similar journey back to health myself.
> 
> On a music related note, do you notice any difference in your stamina when singing/playing lately, Milkman?


I could probably answer this.
Background: About 2 and a half years ago I decided to get serious about my health condition and shed an excess of 30 pounds. I got my 195 pound out of shape body down to a nice trim 162 pounds. In the past year I've really concentrated on the weights. My body shape slimmed even more but now weigh about 168 pounds due to the added muscle mass.
Now how this relates to my playing. Just before I decided to take physical fitness and nutrition serious I had a 52 hotrod Telecaster that I really liked a lot. It weighed in at about 8.5 pounds. I ended up getting rid of it because it just weighed on my back too much. Of course standing in one spot not moving around much doesn't help but then I was lacking in energy. So I sold it opting to use my 7 pound Crook and my just over 7 pound Nocaster. 
Just a few weeks ago I made the plunge and decided to buy a Gibson LP. My choice ended up being between a Traditional and the much lighter Standard. I really wanted to like the Standard over the Traditional mainly because the of the weight. But in the end, at least to me, the traditional spoke to me much more. So I took a chance I could handle the weight. So I've been playing it the last couple of weeks and one night even used it for most of the night just to test it on my back. My Crook is still my main player. I had no issues at all. I couldn't believe how much my back could take it. I could probably go to an even heavier guitar. Now I want my 52 hotrod back.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

That makes perfect sense and congratulations!

I've always tended to like heavier guitars, mostly because they are often balanced better for my tastes. Making choices based on what you like as opposed to what you can bear is a definite plus.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...staying healthy and in shape is a bitch. 

when i was thirty i was six feet tall, weighed 150 and had a 28-inch waist. i ate what i wanted, when i wanted it, and never concerned myself with exercise.

then my metabolism took a nosedive.

a few years ago i was up to 190 lbs.

i'm back down in the 170 range, but its a battle. i spend twenty minutes per day on a giant elliptical (i call it the hamster wheel), and deprive myself of most of my favourite foods.

i was just reading in keith richard's book that he only eats when he's hungry, and then just enough to satisfy his immediate hunger, so i'm giving that a try.

but i know that when i get my next annual physical, my doctor is still going to give me "that look" when he sees my cholesteral levels.


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

That's terrific Mike glad to hear about it. I too am on that same road, and I mountainbike regularly and go to the gym. I particularly love the harshness of spin and bootcamp classes. I eat very healthy and am cutting down on my weekend wine. The one thing i am having difficulty with is sports nutrition. If I eat too much on race day I feel like crap come race time, not enough and I run outta gas before the race is over. I'm not a fan of cliff bars, heed and the like, I prefer real food. Endurance is what I really need to work on.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

david henman said:


> ...staying healthy and in shape is a bitch.
> 
> when i was thirty i was six feet tall, weighed 150 and had a 28-inch waist. i ate what i wanted, when i wanted it, and never concerned myself with exercise.
> 
> ...


In general terms we need fifteen to twenty minutes of VIGOROUS cardio a day to make fundamental changes. 

Sounds like you're on the right track.

I'm not sure I'd take health tips from Keef, LOL.


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

awesome and congrats. its not easy to get on a healthy schedule.

a few years back I was 5'-6" and I was over 160 lbs. this is from working lots of OT and eating fast food due to no time. i then switched jobs and was taken out for lunch several times a week by the boss and had huge prime rib sandwiches for lunch with a large serving of fries.

i dieted for 3 months and lost almost 20 lbs. oatmeal for breakfast, chicken breast on whole wheat for lunch (nothing else. just those 2 items) and a single chicken breast and steamed veggies for supper. I did this every day for 3 months. no exercise... I got down to 143 lbs and went off my diet. I ended up gaining a few pounds and sat happy at ~145-148 for a couple years.

fast forward, I am now 154 lbs and struggling to get back on a work out plan as well as diet. its rough. but I have a $2000+ designer jean collection sitting in my closet on the verge of not fitting me so I need to get healthy and fast. my blood pressure was slightly high during my last check up as well.

I started doing ~4kms runs 3 times a week with 1-2 strength work outs a week. going to try to add some bike rides in on my off jogging days and more strength exercies.

props to you on the huge change!


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

awesome and congrats. its not easy to get on a healthy schedule.

a few years back I was 5'-6" and I was over 160 lbs. this is from working lots of OT and eating fast food due to no time. i then switched jobs and was taken out for lunch several times a week by the boss and had huge prime rib sandwiches for lunch with a large serving of fries.

i dieted for 3 months and lost almost 20 lbs. oatmeal for breakfast, chicken breast on whole wheat for lunch (nothing else. just those 2 items) and a single chicken breast and steamed veggies for supper. I did this every day for 3 months. no exercise... I got down to 143 lbs and went off my diet. I ended up gaining a few pounds and sat happy at ~145-148 for a couple years.

fast forward, I am now 154 lbs and struggling to get back on a work out plan as well as diet. its rough. but I have a $2000+ designer jean collection sitting in my closet on the verge of not fitting me so I need to get healthy and fast. my blood pressure was slightly high during my last check up as well.

I started doing ~4kms runs 3 times a week with 1-2 strength work outs a week. going to try to add some bike rides in on my off jogging days and more strength exercies.

props to you on the huge change!


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

david henman said:


> ...staying healthy and in shape is a bitch.
> 
> when i was thirty i was six feet tall, weighed 150 and had a 28-inch waist. i ate what i wanted, when i wanted it, and never concerned myself with exercise.
> 
> ...


First off. 6 foot, 190 pounds is already skinny. I have a friend that is 190 pounds at 5'11" and is a bean pole.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

blam said:


> awesome and congrats. its not easy to get on a healthy schedule.
> 
> a few years back I was 5'-6" and I was over 160 lbs. this is from working lots of OT and eating fast food due to no time.  i then switched jobs and was taken out for lunch several times a week by the boss and had huge prime rib sandwiches for lunch with a large serving of fries.
> 
> ...


Thanks very much. I'm really trying to view this as a part of my life moving forward. In lieu of setting short term goals, I'm trying to make lots of good choices. It's a minefield in the grocery stores. You think you're buying something healthy and then you check the ingredients and see sugar as the second ingredient. I'm very frustrated by this, but I know overall I'm eating better than I ever have.

It may be an oversimplification, but the simple reality is that all it takes is "eat less, move more".

I'm of the opinion that if you go to a gym and can read or chat while you're working out, you're doing it wrong. That may sound a bit harsh, but I go there to sweat and that starts almost exactly seven minutes after I step on the eliptical and continues for around an hour, everyday. If it was easy, everybody would be buff. (I'm not, but I'm getting better).


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

guitarman2 said:


> First off. 6 foot, 190 pounds is already skinny. I have a friend that is 190 pounds at 5'11" and is a bean pole.


...a lot of that must be muscle. i'm not a muscular dude. far from it, in fact. as well, thanks to osteo, i've shrunk to 5' 10".

and, the brutal truth is that most of my added weight sticks out over my belt.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

guitarman2 said:


> First off. 6 foot, 190 pounds is already skinny. I have a friend that is 190 pounds at 5'11" and is a bean pole.


That really depends a lot on body type. For me 190 is a good weight. I'm very broad across the shoulders so if I was to go down to 170 I would look almost anorexic, but on some people it would be suitable. Those charts are very general.
Body fat content is more important in my opinion. Mine is around 12% now.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Starbuck said:


> The one thing i am having difficulty with is sports nutrition. If I eat too much on race day I feel like crap come race time, not enough and I run outta gas before the race is over. I'm not a fan of cliff bars, heed and the like, I prefer real food. Endurance is what I really need to work on.


I have issues with this as well. For well over a year I've been practicing, eating only what I need. That can be a fine balance when I misjudge for a weight lifting work out where I usually err on the side of not enough.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

david henman said:


> ...a lot of that must be muscle. i'm not a muscular dude. far from it, in fact. as well, thanks to osteo, i've shrunk to 5' 10".
> 
> and, the brutal truth is that most of my added weight sticks out over my belt.




That makes sense


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Milkman said:


> That really depends a lot on body type. For me 190 is a good weight. I'm very broad across the shoulders so if I was to go down to 170 I would look almost anorexic, but on some people it would be suitable. Those charts are very general.
> Body fat content is more important in my opinion. Mine is around 12% now.


Yes I too am broad across the shoulders. I have more upper body muscle than lower body. although my lower body has not one ounce of fat. Some of my friends think I'm too skinny at 168 pounds (5'8") but I feel about right to me. I went from 195 to 168 and a 38 waist to 30. 
I'm trying hard to get at least some portion of a six pack on the abs and really that is about the only little bit of fat I have left, is a bit around the middle. The say at 50 a six pack is virtually impossible but I love a good challenge.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

guitarman2 said:


> Yes I too am broad across the shoulders. I have more upper body muscle than lower body. although my lower body has not one ounce of fat. Some of my friends think I'm too skinny at 168 pounds (5'8") but I feel about right to me. I went from 195 to 168 and a 38 waist to 30.
> I'm trying hard to get at least some portion of a six pack on the abs and really that is about the only little bit of fat I have left, is a bit around the middle. The say at 50 a six pack is virtually impossible but I love a good challenge.


It may be hard but not impossible. I have a four pack and a tall boy, LOL. It WAS a keg. I work my abs hard almost every day. I alternate other body parts in a normal rotation but do crunches, leg raises and planks almost every day. That last bit of belly fat is my target. We'll see.

I too was a 38 waist and I'm now a comfortable 32.

Rock on man!


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## Presto1202 (Dec 8, 2010)

david henman said:


> ...staying healthy and in shape is a bitch.
> 
> when i was thirty i was six feet tall, weighed 150 and had a 28-inch waist. i ate what i wanted, when i wanted it, and never concerned myself with exercise.
> 
> ...


Have you tried doing some intervals for your cardio on some days and adding some resistance training? That should help.

I don't know everything but I used to be an NSCA-certified trainer and was planning on becoming a strength coach for a college sports team. In pursuit of that I dual-majored in exercise science in college and interned with the strength coach at my university (Fresno State) to supplement what I learned from martial arts. I ended up not becoming a strength coach but I did learn a lot so if it's ok with you I'd like to offer that suggestion. =) 

Doing steady-state cardio is good exercise but mixing in some intervals or sprints on some days can help elevate your resting oxygen consumption longer after exercise so you'll get some of that metabolism boost you're looking for. Adding resistance training will help with that as well. You should also be careful with the calorie restriction because, though it is definitely healthy to do, doing too much of it can lead to a slower metabolism. 

Here are some graphs of studys that show what I'm talking about:
http://www.exrx.net/FatLoss/WTCalLBWStudy.html
http://www.exrx.net/FatLoss/WT&End.html

Anyway, I hope I'm not butting in, I just figured I'd throw that consideration out there in case no one else had suggested it yet.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Presto1202 said:


> Have you tried doing some intervals for your cardio on some days and adding some resistance training? That should help.
> 
> I don't know everything but I used to be an NSCA-certified trainer and was planning on becoming a strength coach for a college sports team. In pursuit of that I dual-majored in exercise science in college and interned with the strength coach at my university (Fresno State) to supplement what I learned from martial arts. I ended up not becoming a strength coach but I did learn a lot so if it's ok with you I'd like to offer that suggestion. =)
> 
> ...


Although your post was obviously directed to Mr. H, as far as I'm concerned, butt in all you like. Your experience and knowledge are much appreciated and gratefully accepted from my perspective.

Intervals are what I do for cardio. I use an eliptical, but I run a hill program which takes me 20 minutes and absolutely saturates me. In those 20 minutes I burn around 400 calories. Then I go to the strength training and core stuff.

As far as calories go, I don't count them. Rather I try to make smart choices and avoid snacking, particularly on stuff that we all know is counterproductive.

So, thanks for the input and keep it coming.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...your comments are much appreciated!

i'm not sure, however, that i fully comprehend them.

the only real exercise i get, other than yard work, is the giant elliptical.

i spend the first ten minutes increasing the resistance, up to the maximum level, and then gradually decreasing it for the final ten minutes. twenty minutes per day is all i can hack on the elliptical - can't deal with the boredom. this burns 200 calories. which would be more than sufficient if i could steer clear of that ice cream with the big chunks of nestle's chocolate bars in it.






Presto1202 said:


> Have you tried doing some intervals for your cardio on some days and adding some resistance training? That should help.
> 
> I don't know everything but I used to be an NSCA-certified trainer and was planning on becoming a strength coach for a college sports team. In pursuit of that I dual-majored in exercise science in college and interned with the strength coach at my university (Fresno State) to supplement what I learned from martial arts. I ended up not becoming a strength coach but I did learn a lot so if it's ok with you I'd like to offer that suggestion. =)
> 
> ...


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## Presto1202 (Dec 8, 2010)

Milkman said:


> Although your post was obviously directed to Mr. H, as far as I'm concerned, butt in all you like. Your experience and knowledge are much appreciated and gratefully accepted from my perspective.


Thanks Milkman.


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## Presto1202 (Dec 8, 2010)

david henman said:


> ...your comments are much appreciated!
> 
> i'm not sure, however, that i fully comprehend them.
> 
> ...


Let me apologize beforehand because this is going to be a long post. 

The jist of my post was that you should be getting exercise other than just the elliptical (or any cardio), resistance training like lifting weights, and that for cardio you could do intervals for your cardio sometimes in addition to doing it as you have been to give your body a different stimulus.

There are 5 components to health related fitness:
Cardiovascular - The ability of your heart and lungs to deliver blood and oxygen to tissue.
Muscular strength - Your ability to lift heavy objects
Muscular endurance - Your muscles ability to perform a task a repeated number of times.
Flexibility - The ability of a joint to move through a healthy range of motion.
Body composition - The amount of lean mass (muscle, bone, etc) vs the amount of bodyfat you are carrying.

Cardiorespiratory fitness is generally considered to be the most important but that is an error. Not because it isn't true, but because that often leads people to focus just on that and neglect the other components, especially if they are pressed for time. The other 4 components (especially muscular strength and body composition) are nearly as important as cardiorespiratory fitness. 

There are a couple big mistakes people make with regard to the exercise they decide to do and how they measure their improvement:
1) Don't just focus on one fitness component as you will neglect the other components which each serve some important function. 
2) Going by weight as a measure of how well you're doing is a bad idea. Unless you have access to a reliable way to measure your bodyfat % (like hydrostatic weighing) it'd be better to go by your performance, appearance, and waist size than by your weight as a measurement of your progress. Weight, without the specifics of what that weight comes from, really tells us very little. For this reason experts have started trying to move away from the term "overweight" and start using the term "overfat". 

If you start lifting weights your weight may go up a bit, even though you might be losing fat, because of muscle gains. This increased muscle will help elevate your metabolism. Much of the decrease in metabolism we experience as we get older is from a loss of muscle tissue due to lack of sufficient use. Cardiovascular exercise tends to burn more calories while you are working out than lifting weights does (which is good) doesn't leave your metabolism elevated for long when you are finished exercising. Strength training does. After you're finished working out your metabolism will stay elevated based mainly on how hard and how long you've been working out. This is referred to as EPOC (Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption) because your body is in oxygen debt from the exercise. Strength training tends to have greater EPOC and a better boost in metabolism because your body has to spend more energy recovering from it than from cardio. I dont want to go into the physiology unless you want me to because I don't want to bore anyone. lol

So I think if you want to boost your metabolism or get more bang for your buck you should start doing some form of strength training. It doesn't even have to be at the gym or involve any special equipment. Equipment is nice but it's not necessary to get in shape despite all the marketing hype we see on TV and in magazines (which is a big reason I left that industry). 

If you want to keep doing your elliptical for 20 minutes then go for it but I'd throw in intervals sometimes. Something like:
A. Warm-up - 5 minutes
B. Slow-to-regular pace - 1 minute 30 seconds
C. As fast as possible - 30 seconds
Repeat B and C 8 more times. 

Regardless, you should be doing some form of strength training. Whether it's with free weights, machines, bodyweight, or something else isn't really important. What is important is that the weight should be heavy enough to be challenging. If you can lift the weight more than about 15 times without stopping you wont get any appreciable strength gains from it, though you will still gain muscular endurance (which is also important). 

When I'm pressed for time I really like to use supersets, circuits, or a method called EDT. These methods involve using strength training exercises in ways that allow you to increase your cardiovascular fitness and muscular strength/endurance all in the same workout without having to spend all day in the gym. You'll burn a solid amount of calories during the workout and from the metabolic boost you'll get after. 

An example of a Circuit
This is a circuit I like to do. If you're fairly strong it will give you more muscular endurance than strength but will give you some of both. A dumbbell would be handy. You'll need a timer or a clock with a seconds hand:
Start the timer
- Do 10 pushups (quickly but in good form)
- Do 10 situps (or another ab exercise like wraparounds or seated leg tucks)
- Do 10 jump squats
- Do 10 bent-over dumbbell rows (with each arm)
This should take you less than a minute and any remaining time in this minute you get to rest. When the next minute starts you start the whole process again. Try to do this for 15 minutes. If you can't work up to 15-20 minutes (not including a warmup). 

If you can get through 15 minutes of doing this, in that short period of time you will have done 150 pushups, 150 situps, 150 jump squats, and 150 dumbbell rows. The pushups worked your pressing muscles (chest, shoulders & triceps), the situps worked your abs, the jump squats worked your thighs and glutes, and the bent-over rows worked your pulling muscles (back and biceps). It's not perfect (no workout is) but its a good way to work all the major muscle groups in a short period of time leading to increased muscular strength/endurance and a boost in metabolism. What's also great is that, because you don't get much rest, your cardiovascular system also receives a good amount of exercise so your heart gets a good workout too. Also, because you varied the movement patterns within the workout you have less of a risk of overuse injuries than you do with other forms of cardiovascular exercise like running. If you are at a decent strength level and pushups are too easy you can make them harder by doing thrust pushups (like in Rocky) or elevating your feet on a platform while doing your pushups. There are a lot of ways to vary this simple design effectively. After you're finished drop down to the floor and stretch for a few minutes. 

An example of EDT
Another thing you can do is what's called EDT (Escalating-Density Training). It is a pretty simple idea: 
- Pick a pair of exercises (preferably that work major muscle groups and are not relying a lot on the same muscles).
- Find a weight you can lift for 10 repetitions in good form without stopping. 
- Start the workout. Even though you can lift the weight 10 times, you aren't allowed to lift it more than 5 times in any given set. Once you do a set of the first exercise, rest as you wish, then do a set of the next exercise. Rest as you wish and repeat. Your goal is to get to 60 repetitions of each exercise in 15 minutes. Once you can then you increase the weight next time you workout. 
- This is one of the best ways to workout that I've seen and done because, depending on how you tweek it, it's effective regardless of whether you want to shed fat or train for a Worlds Strongest Man competition.

There are other good methods that don't require much time like Tabata but I'll stop there for now. If you have any questions I'll continue to do what I can to help. I'm a big believer in fitness but I hate the industry because there are a lot of lies or halftruths out there because people are trying to sell products and I think people have a right to accurate knowledge about fitness and how to achieve it so the whole marketing aspect of that industry really leaves me disenchanted.


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

hey there, I have been trying to hit the gym more lately, along with Mountain biking. I am really digging the fact that I can see lots of improvement in my performance in the saddle. One workout that I have been doing periodically is with kettlebells. It is by far the most effective thing I have ever done, Cardio, strength and core all at once. (it's kinda fun too) The Russian Olympians have been doing it for years. My biggest problem is finding the time to fit everything in.

[video=youtube;YQgKhis8Y64]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQgKhis8Y64[/video]


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