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The Official Health and Fitness Thread

WhatIfGodWasALeaf said:
So I've lost 75lbs in the past six months or so and dropped 4 shirt sizes and I plan on losing quite a bit more. I really owe most of it to my diet, there have been many stretches where I have not really exercised and a couple of occasions where I've fallen off the wagon for a few weeks at a time.

If I'd have done as much exercise as I should have, I'd be well over the 100lbs lost mark.

Despite eating more fats and proteins, recent blood work has shown my blood pressure has continued to improve as has my cholesterol.  It's been pretty simple for me really, insulin resistance caused by carbohydrate overload caused me to pack on the pounds, now that I eat very little carbohydrate, the weight is falling off and my health is improving. 

Here is a pretty amazing TED talk on the subject.

http://www.ted.com/talks/peter_attia_what_if_we_re_wrong_about_diabetes.html

AWESOME!  I love low carb.  My body responds to nothing quite like limiting carbs. 
 
WhatIfGodWasALeaf said:
So I've lost 75lbs in the past six months or so and dropped 4 shirt sizes and I plan on losing quite a bit more. I really owe most of it to my diet, there have been many stretches where I have not really exercised and a couple of occasions where I've fallen off the wagon for a few weeks at a time.

CONGRATS!!

I wanted to highlight the part I quoted above because this is what I think is one of the hardest parts about adjusting your lifestyle: slumps and wagon-off-falling happen, but what counts is not that you never fall off, but that you find it in you to get back up and keep going.  Living healthy is a lifetime commitment.  Keep it up, guy!

And thanks for sharing; these sorts of stories help keep me motivated, too.
 
The CMA (Canadian Medical Association) wants  provinces to limit or restrict caffeinated energy drinks to children & adolescents, citing the inherent danger of them especially when mixed with alcohol that can "lead to.:.seizures".

Junk foods along with drinks, of limited nutritionat value & high calories should be "banned in all restaurants in Canada" as a way of combating and lowering the chances of childhood obesity.

For more:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/canadian-medical-association-comes-down-hard-on-nhl-owners-over-hockey-violence/article13897652/
 
Started Couch to 5k.  Was starting week 5 last week but knew I couldn't do it.  Also was dealing with ankle pain/swollen feet so I didn't finish the first day.  I'm going to go back to week 4 this week.

I'm not doing it to become a runner/run a marathon.  Everyone I know who has lost weight has accomplished it through running.  I've never been able to run (even going back to track in elementary school) so I'm hoping to learn how to do it for more than a minute or two. 
 
leafsweetie said:
Started Couch to 5k.  Was starting week 5 last week but knew I couldn't do it.  Also was dealing with ankle pain/swollen feet so I didn't finish the first day.  I'm going to go back to week 4 this week.

I'm not doing it to become a runner/run a marathon.  Everyone I know who has lost weight has accomplished it through running.  I've never been able to run (even going back to track in elementary school) so I'm hoping to learn how to do it for more than a minute or two.

you will..humans were built to run..long distance running is kind of our thing.  other animals run faster but none of them run as far.  That being said I remember that feeling..that kind of instant death feeling of not being able to run without panting to have every impulse in your body to scream out stop until you do.  And while paying attention to any pains that come up is important..the i want to die barrier will fade.  and if you can keep stringing together these workouts ..staying consistent ..forming a habit ..i'm sure it'll be sooner than later.
 
Way to go everyone, your dedication is inspiring!

Down another 15 pounds, 10 more and it's 100 down.

We can do this folks, keep at it!

Also thanks to everyone for your kind words, this really is a special corner of the web.
 
WhatIfGodWasALeaf said:
Way to go everyone, your dedication is inspiring!

Down another 15 pounds, 10 more and it's 100 down.

We can do this folks, keep at it!

Also thanks to everyone for your kind words, this really is a special corner of the web.

Wow that's great!  I've never lost weight so I don't know how it feels :)
 
crazyperfectdevil said:
leafsweetie said:
Started Couch to 5k.  Was starting week 5 last week but knew I couldn't do it.  Also was dealing with ankle pain/swollen feet so I didn't finish the first day.  I'm going to go back to week 4 this week.

I'm not doing it to become a runner/run a marathon.  Everyone I know who has lost weight has accomplished it through running.  I've never been able to run (even going back to track in elementary school) so I'm hoping to learn how to do it for more than a minute or two.

if you can keep stringing together these workouts ..staying consistent ..forming a habit ..i'm sure it'll be sooner than later.
. Trying to build the habit for sure!  The issue I have is my legs feel like they're dying pretty quickly.  Breathing seems to be fine so far.
 
leafsweetie said:
crazyperfectdevil said:
leafsweetie said:
Started Couch to 5k.  Was starting week 5 last week but knew I couldn't do it.  Also was dealing with ankle pain/swollen feet so I didn't finish the first day.  I'm going to go back to week 4 this week.

I'm not doing it to become a runner/run a marathon.  Everyone I know who has lost weight has accomplished it through running.  I've never been able to run (even going back to track in elementary school) so I'm hoping to learn how to do it for more than a minute or two.

if you can keep stringing together these workouts ..staying consistent ..forming a habit ..i'm sure it'll be sooner than later.
. Trying to build the habit for sure!  The issue I have is my legs feel like they're dying pretty quickly.  Breathing seems to be fine so far.

I jog for about an hour a day ..almost every day ..and there was definitely a point where i couldn't see how i'd ever go for more than a few minutes ..so as others have said ..if you stick with it..you'll get there...it's always going to be exercise ..like you're probably not burning anything if it doesn't feel like work..but it'll be a workload you can handle
 
I fell completely off the rails. This time last year I was 25 lbs. lighter and had little problem running 10 milers (16k.) Now I can't even do 5k. A couple weeks ago I tried to re-establish a routine with no luck. Man, it's tough. I just can't get back into it.  :-\ 
 
Dr. Bobby Leafer said:
I fell completely off the rails. This time last year I was 25 lbs. lighter and had little problem running 10 milers (16k.) Now I can't even do 5k. A couple weeks ago I tried to re-establish a routine with no luck. Man, it's tough. I just can't get back into it.  :-\

You did..it happens.  I think for it to work one's perspective has to make the shift from a short term goal like losing x amount of weight (which is a great motivator to start) to the idea that this is something on going.  like the rest of your life kind of on going. 

So the downside is you've lost that weight and now you have it back on, but the upside is that isn't the final word....because until the unfortunate happens..it goes on.

I personally did a fairly good job of losing about 60lbs..only to gain it all back and more.  That was over 6 years ago.  It was....depressing.  To get back into it I just focused on the routine aspect of it.  I wanted to be in the physical shape i was in before..but i just wasn't and trying to jump in where i'd left off just wasn't going to work.  So i was just going to have to reestablish the routine and then worry about benchmarks.

Still it's frustrating.  In my case what I did was started to walk my aunt's dog.  I had the excuse of getting in activity and doing it for someone else (the dog in this case)  so that allowed me to do a little less comparing my situation to my previous one and just get out there. 

Long story short I lost that weight again and more but as i was saying before ..now it's not over it just continues.  and who knows there might be some time in the future where i let myself fall out of this rhythm and I end up right back where i was.  That's one of the many things i try to use to motivate me on the days where i don't want to do it.  But i hope even if i do end up there again that I take my own advice and just get back to work.  It's a life long effort.

So i know i don't know any details other than what you have posted but I more than believe you can get back to where you were.  Get your routine and once you have it fight for it until it's a habit again.  It just has to be just one of the things you do...and when it comes time to do it..be rigid about it.  Especially in the early going like the first few months.

If you're thinking in any way that you failed..you haven't..you're still trying.  Good Luck.
 
Though I've had two days off, I've been exercising for the last two weeks. It's tough to stay motivated when you're out of shape because, well, exercise is hard and takes effort and us fatties don't like effort.

That said, I've been fairly successful. I'm slowly getting to the point where it's becoming a routine; where if I miss an exercise I feel guilty.

I think the key for me so far is taking it easy. I usually jump right in and start working out hard core and then fail. This time I'm doing my best to ease into it. I'm not looking at a scale, I'm just getting active. I've decided to try running. It's not something I've ever really done.......and I'm not hating it. I actually kind of like the "alone time." Just you and your thoughts and some good music. In only two weeks I've gone from walking 200 m/jogging 200m to walking 50 m/jogging 1km. My 5k time has dropped from 42 minutes to 33 minutes. That's terrible by athletic standards, but I'm feeling good about it. It gives me goals. My next goal is jogging 5k with no walking breaks; I don't care what my time is.

I've also been doing one day a week of high intensity exercise, like a kickboxing workout. Only 20 minutes, try this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=et7gWmKJaEA

Natalie Yco from Jillian Michael's 30 day shred. Simple but tough workout. And I'm sorry this is going to be misogynistic, but she's very easy on the eyes, though by the second half of the workout you won't be looking at her but rather cursing her. :)
 
leafsweetie said:
Started Couch to 5k.  Was starting week 5 last week but knew I couldn't do it.  Also was dealing with ankle pain/swollen feet so I didn't finish the first day.  I'm going to go back to week 4 this week.

I'm not doing it to become a runner/run a marathon.  Everyone I know who has lost weight has accomplished it through running.  I've never been able to run (even going back to track in elementary school) so I'm hoping to learn how to do it for more than a minute or two.
Week 5 was brutal for me, too; I repeated week 4 a couple times, and I think a lot of people do.  That first 20-minute run is really daunting and totally kicked my ass.

At first I was pretty bummed out that I was going off-script, and I definitely thought about quitting.  But at some point I realized that repeating week 4, or whatever week I could, was better than just outright quitting.  I basically told myself that if this is the best I can do, like, ever, then it's still better than where I started.  I knew I was still burning calories, I was still working up a sweat, and it was still a big improvement from where I started.

And it turns out I was still improving, and eventually broke out and finished week 5.  From there I basically stayed off-script and ran at my own pace, and eventually finished my 5k at around week 11 or 12.

I don't run very often, though; I'm still not built for running, and don't do well with the impact.  Instead, I cycle in the spring and summers, and swim in fall and winter (and I have a bike indoors).  It's hard to beat the sheer intensity of running, and I'm glad I've at least proven to myself that I can do it, but it isn't the only way.
 
Dr. Bobby Leafer said:
Thanks man.

I have been steadily gaining weight the last 10 years.  At 5'10" I was 155 when I got married. Was about 165 when I was 30.  Last June I was 242 after yo-yoing between 232 and 239 for 2 years.  Since my 45th birthday was May 31st and my 25th anniversary is this November 12th, 2013, I determined to start to get back to where I needed to be.

I didn't have much extra money with 2 kids going for college and my oldest daughter, her husband and my 1st grandson living with us as university students with small student loans.  I found an exercise bike someone threw away and started pedaling when I could.  I got to 228 by only pedaling when I had chance and removing as much processed sugar out of my diet as was suggested here (I think by Mighty Odin).  Then the rickety bike broke.  I am still around 230 simply through a somewhat healthy diet which is good news.  The better news is my son-in-law (who through working lots of overtime, etc and moved out to their own place again with my daughter and grandson) has been moonlighting at YMCA and he got me a free month pass yesterday.  He has taken on the role as my trainer and is committed to see me get in shape and lose weight.  (I think it is lovingly but he is pushing pretty hard...  :D )

After 2 days in the gym with him, which has caused me to make personal changes in my schedule as I haven't been concerned about making time for it, I can say without ANY uncertainty that I will lose weight.  Surprisingly, it isn't because of the calories being burned.  It is because my arms are so rubbery now that I can lift food to my mouth.

The key for me?  Getting together with someone else as I won't skip it because it will let them down.  I have done this in my 20's and early 30's but won't stop exercising now ever again even if it is just walking when I am old, old, old.

Please don't give up Dr BL and LeafsSweetie.  Let's see if we can all do this together!
 
Britishbulldog said:
He has taken on the role as my trainer and is committed to see me get in shape and lose weight.  (I think it is lovingly but he is pushing pretty hard...  :D )

I think he's hoping he's in the will :D

Good job bulldog. I brought it back down to 195lbs this past spring/early summer and since then have ridden the wave of summer foods back to 220lbs. Time to cut this out. I agree that having someone you won't back out on is a great motivator!
 
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