Health and Fitness Thread

[snubbyfan]

Some of the guys here inspired each other (you know who you are) to work on their fitness level.
Since the Drift Thread's locked, I thought I'd start a fitness thread.

I've been working on my diet, concenrating on eating lean protein and green vegetables. When I have carbohydrates, it's whole wheat.
My Italian wife's not too wild about whole wheat pasta but she occasionally makes the sacrifice.
We're staying away from fad diets. Instead we're eating healthy while keeping to a caloric deficit until the weight's off.

Also, we've been going to the YMCA for spin classes, weight lifting and water therapy in the warm pool.
When we're not going to the Y, we're hiking all over the area mountains.

My ultimate goal's to get back to my pre-neuropathy weight of a fit 170. Right now I'm at 180, getting close.
I've got a degenerative peripheral motor nerve condition and when it first started I ended up gaining 60 pounds and that just made it harder to get around.

Today, I went for a nice long morning hike and when my wife came home, we went for a nice long afternoon hike together.
It's beautiful out here and the view from a mountain ridge alone is worth the effort.
Tomorrow, it's off to the Y.

[Watchdog]

Sounds to me as if you're doing what you need to do...and doing it right.

Keep up the good work, and keep us posted as you meet (and possibly surpass) your goals.

[raljr1]

OK Snubby, now you got me going. Walked a couple miles yesterday and today....started at 233, now at 231....only 25 more to go.....can't believe the drift is gone.

[Rintimtin]

I'm game knocked it back to one soda a day, a cup of coffee in the morning maybe another in the afternoon. But other than that just water it's really a necessity during the summer but I feel better already.

[Arik]

Stick with it, add more to your routine if you have to/want to and you'll be well on your way.

Currently I'm barely feeling my legs after hour of squats and sled.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[CBus660R]

snubbyfan, congrats on the great progress so far. You'll get those last 10 off soon enough. I'm typically a fairly fit guy, but the last few years I put an extra 20 on between dealing with a torn rotator cuff, getting engaged, buying a house, etc... I got the family a membership to the local rec center as part of their Christmas gifts. So far I'm the only one who's going regularly and I've lost those 20 pounds. Gonna try for 10 more which will put me at an all time low as an adult (just don't have the muscle I did when I was younger).

[snubbyfan]

Originally Posted by Arik

Stick with it, add more to your routine if you have to/want to and you'll be well on your way.

Currently I'm barely feeling my legs after hour of squats and sled.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

I gotta be careful with my legs. Don't want to overdo it too much.
With my motor nerve condition, my neurologist told me I should be in a wheelchair by now.

[snubbyfan]

Originally Posted by CBus660R

snubbyfan, congrats on the great progress so far. You'll get those last 10 off soon enough. I'm typically a fairly fit guy, but the last few years I put an extra 20 on between dealing with a torn rotator cuff, getting engaged, buying a house, etc... I got the family a membership to the local rec center as part of their Christmas gifts. So far I'm the only one who's going regularly and I've lost those 20 pounds. Gonna try for 10 more which will put me at an all time low as an adult (just don't have the muscle I did when I was younger).

Already, I'm wearing clothes that haven't fit in years and I'm about half a hole away on my belt.
Another 10 pounds'd put me right where I want to be.

[snubbyfan]

Originally Posted by Rintimtin

I'm game knocked it back to one soda a day, a cup of coffee in the morning maybe another in the afternoon. But other than that just water it's really a necessity during the summer but I feel better already.

Yup lotsa water.

[pawngal]

If this thread keeps going and stays on subject I'll get motivated to get moving. First I must admit my weaknesses to all.

I'm a carbohydrate junkie, never met a carb I didn't like.

I like lots of real butter

I'm a chocoholic, never met anything chocolate I didn't like, yes I've eaten chocolate covered bugs, the ants ain't bad.

I love French Fries & loaded baked potatoes & hashbrowns with cheese & onions

Anything that can be put in a sandwich is good, more carbs!

And it is fresh sweet corn season in Iowa!, more butter.

As you can see I have horrible eating habits. I gotta make some changes. And get to walking or doing something.

Oops, forgot, I like beer, wine, margaritas, Jack Daniels

What do I like that is healthy? my meat of choice is pork.
And most any kind of seafood.

I MUST do this, my clothes are all getting too tight!

[vonn]

Good idea Snubby! Getting fit is getting healthier even if you do have a severe medical condition. Do we need to bring a list of our melds like at the Doctors office?

[RSBH44]

Originally Posted by pawngal

If this thread keeps going and stays on subject I'll get motivated to get moving. First I must admit my weaknesses to all.

I'm a carbohydrate junkie, never met a carb I didn't like.

I like lots of real butter

I'm a chocoholic, never met anything chocolate I didn't like, yes I've eaten chocolate covered bugs, the ants ain't bad.

I love French Fries & loaded baked potatoes & hashbrowns with cheese & onions

Anything that can be put in a sandwich is good, more carbs!

And it is fresh sweet corn season in Iowa!, more butter.

As you can see I have horrible eating habits. I gotta make some changes. And get to walking or doing something.

Oops, forgot, I like beer, wine, margaritas, Jack Daniels

What do I like that is healthy? my meat of choice is pork.
And most any kind of seafood.

I MUST do this, my clothes are all getting too tight!

I like everything on your list and then some! Sounds like I better get my butt in gear and shed some poundage. I do however grow and eat lots of greens this time of the year. Does that count?? I'm generally a pretty active person and have always had a very high metabolism, but as of late, I've been noticing a difference.

[Arik]

Originally Posted by snubbyfan

I gotta be careful with my legs. Don't want to overdo it too much.
With my motor nerve condition, my neurologist told me I should be in a wheelchair by now.

Do whatever you can. Walk, bike, walk on your hands if you can! Any movement is better the sitting around. It's better overall for your health

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[snubbyfan]

Originally Posted by pawngal

If this thread keeps going and stays on subject I'll get motivated to get moving. First I must admit my weaknesses to all.

I'm a carbohydrate junkie, never met a carb I didn't like.

I like lots of real butter

I'm a chocoholic, never met anything chocolate I didn't like, yes I've eaten chocolate covered bugs, the ants ain't bad.

I love French Fries & loaded baked potatoes & hashbrowns with cheese & onions

Anything that can be put in a sandwich is good, more carbs!

And it is fresh sweet corn season in Iowa!, more butter.

As you can see I have horrible eating habits. I gotta make some changes. And get to walking or doing something.

Oops, forgot, I like beer, wine, margaritas, Jack Daniels

What do I like that is healthy? my meat of choice is pork.
And most any kind of seafood.

I MUST do this, my clothes are all getting too tight!

Nothing wrong with carbohydrates, just keep them in moderation and think more along the lines of a balanced diet.

For example for supper tomorrow we're planning fish, asparagus and a home baked whole wheat bread called bannock. That includes a coupla tablespoons of butter.
We share a beer and no dessert.

[snubbyfan]

Originally Posted by vonn

Good idea Snubby! Getting fit is getting healthier even if you do have a severe medical condition. Do we need to bring a list of our melds like at the Doctors office?

Geez I hope not. My list varies. Actually there's no daily med for my condition but with the help of my family doctor and lotsa research by myself. We found a combination of meds and supplements that help.
Towards evening they do wear off but I'm usually on my cushy chair by then.

[Huskerguy]

I just started on my goals as well. I am 5'10" and around 185. I have been more and less, as little as 160 about 11 years ago, too thin. Fairly solid, little overhang but not bad (at least that is what I keep telling my wife). I want to lose another 10 and make it an even 175. Joined a fitness club because it is only three blocks from my house and they have lots of stuff, not sure if it is all better than what little I have in my house but we will see. Do cardio/abs three times a week and weight training 2 or 3 times. Terrible eater as well, hate veggies. I can eat a salad if at a business meal but it is gag all the way. Give me meat, cheese potatoes, corn, etc. I started this a couple weeks ago and it is going real well, so far I have only gained 5 lbs.

[pawngal]

Originally Posted by snubbyfan

Nothing wrong with carbohydrates, just keep them in moderation and think more along the lines of a balanced diet.

For example for supper tomorrow we're planning fish, asparagus and a home baked whole wheat bread called bannock. That includes a coupla tablespoons of butter.
We share a beer and no dessert.

So I guess 6 donuts in 12 hours is not good, LOL!

I do know how to eat right, I just don't do it

[snubbyfan]

Originally Posted by Arik

Do whatever you can. Walk, bike, walk on your hands if you can! Any movement is better the sitting around. It's better overall for your health

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

After my neurologist said, "wheelchair" I was determined to relearn to walk. Took nearly a year and my first walk across a parking lot felt like a huge triumph.
Now I go for hikes all over the area mountains. I prefer the trails that are rated as "strenuous."
We also go on some nice long bike rides.

[snubbyfan]

Originally Posted by pawngal

So I guess 6 donuts in 12 hours is not good, LOL!

I do know how to eat right, I just don't do it

[STCM(SW)]

I only eat two meals a day.
Plus some snacks at night maybe.
Down to 158-160.
A few more pounds and it will be the same weight I was when I joined the Navy, 152.
And, no I don't do long walks, exerciser or anything else but clean up, mow the lawn and such.....

[joeintexas]

I thought I had lost 5 lbs, I looked in the mirror and turned around, seems I didn't lose it, just misplaced it. I found it. Since being diagnosed with the Big C in January I have put on quite a bit of weight from lack of physical activity, the adrenal glands are affected so my energy level with chemo is poor. However, this morning during infusions the nurse came in and said there was an organization here in town that offers a free program to cancer patients unlimited supervised exercise and eating programs. I signed up. If all the tubbys here can do it I figure I can too, LOL. Good luck to you all.

[susieqz]

you can lose all the weight you want by just skipping breakfast n lunch.
then eat anything you want, as much as you want.
the idea is fasting for 20 hours/day.

can eat 1/2 a pizza, then have an ice cream sundae n still lose weight.
you lose slowly so not good if you're in a hurry.
thing is, once you get used to it, it isn't a diet. it's just your normal lifestyle.
i failed on normal diets because i couldn't stand long term starvation.
but, i can do 20 hours when i know i'll get a full tummy before bed.
going to sleep hungry is a nightmare.

[CO_Kid]

Great thread!

I've never been huge (highest was 230 at 6'3") but I wasn't in good shape. My wife got big after our oldest was born.

She kicked it into gear and lost just over 100lbs at this point.

With my disease, I get severely sick easily, and one such bout saw me lose 50lbs. I got back up over 200 by liftibg, then got sick again and back down 20. Now I'm back at 215 lifting 5-6 times a week. I cut pop out of my diet and to cut down on my body fat and both of us are watching our diet. Her to lose the remaining weight she wants off and me to lower my body fat.

Now that I know And am treating my underlying disease, I'm hoping I don't get as sick anymore.

[CBus660R]

Originally Posted by snubbyfan

Nothing wrong with carbohydrates, just keep them in moderation and think more along the lines of a balanced diet.

Carbs is such a generic term. The carbs that we want to avoid are the refined products like enriched flour, high fructose corn syrup, and sugar. That means the bread and pasta heavy diets so many people like is an issue (my wife struggles with this since she loves her fresh bread) and don't forget most beverages people enjoy like pop, Gatorade, energy drinks, etc... Other carbs like whole fruits and veggies aren't nearly as bad. Plus fiber is a carb and you need that to keep the lower GI tract working right

[raljr1]

Originally Posted by pawngal

So I guess 6 donuts in 12 hours is not good, LOL!

I do know how to eat right, I just don't do it

You had to mention donuts....snacking is my problem...I'm a grazer. I told my son that it was good to eat several small meals per day...he said, yeah dad, but not 17 of them...

[Tom S.]

I'm the odd man out here. I didn't start working out because of health issues, at least not in the normal sense.

I have done all my own maintenance on our vehicles since I was 17 (I'm now 66). Around 15 years ago, I was underneath an S-10 pickup truck doing a transmission oil filter change when the truck popped into neutral and rolled backwards off the ramps and turned me into a human wheel chock. I was able to hold the truck in drive while my wife drove it off me. Broke my shoulder blade, clavicle, and several ribs. A few weeks after my week long stay in the hospital, I started physical therapy. I worked hard and not only got back to where I was physically, but improved upon it. At the end of therapy, my therapist told me that losing what I had gained would happen if I didn't continue to work out, and I've been doing it ever since. Unlike some folks, I don't feel great after a good work out, I feel sore and tired, but at 66, I'm in much better shape than my dad was even when he was in his mid 50's, and I know it's good for me, so I continue on. On average, I go 5 to 6 times a week to Planet Fitness. They are the cheapest game in town, clean, lots of nice equipment and they don't allow the grunting and groaning that goes on in other gyms.

[kwselke]

Hi, I'm Ken and I'm a fatty. You may look at me now and say... You are not fat. Yes, at 6' 1 1/2" and 200 pounds I am 15 pounds over weight according to BMI. More than that two years ago I weighed in at 280 to 290 pounds and had out of control blood pressure even with medications. If I had not gotten in shape I'm sure I would have stroked out by now.

I started on 1,200 calorie a day diet and a walking program. If I wanted food I walked to the grocery store, then between meals I walked. My goal was to walk about 5 miles a day, which works out to be a little more than Dr. Oz's famous 10,000 steps.

Once I got down to 200 I started eating what I wanted, but now I start each day with a walk of at least five miles. This morning I walked 5.9 miles, and later I will walk to get my haircut then walk to the post office.

As one of my fellow pre-dawn walkers commented to me yesterday... It's not about weight, it's about overall fitness. She's 69 years old and could easily pass for 50ish. Our paths did not cross for a couple of weeks, then one day I saw her and she said I was afraid you had given up. I thought about the term... "give up". That's so true, one does not quit exercising, they give up.

[snubbyfan]

Originally Posted by STCM(SW)

I only eat two meals a day.
Plus some snacks at night maybe.
Down to 158-160.
A few more pounds and it will be the same weight I was when I joined the Navy, 152.
And, no I don't do long walks, exerciser or anything else but clean up, mow the lawn and such.....

Originally Posted by susieqz

you can lose all the weight you want by just skipping breakfast n lunch.
then eat anything you want, as much as you want.
the idea is fasting for 20 hours/day.

can eat 1/2 a pizza, then have an ice cream sundae n still lose weight.
you lose slowly so not good if you're in a hurry.
thing is, once you get used to it, it isn't a diet. it's just your normal lifestyle.
i failed on normal diets because i couldn't stand long term starvation.
but, i can do 20 hours when i know i'll get a full tummy before bed.
going to sleep hungry is a nightmare.

I gotta have something in the morning. Usually it's just a granola bar.
Then for supper it's lean protein and vegetables.
At 8:30pm I'll have 6 Wheat Thins with hummus and a low fat yogurt an hour or so later.
I read that if you fast, your body releases sugars stored in the liver and that triggers an insulin response which slows your metabolism. "Survival mode."

[snubbyfan]

We're off to the Y.
Gonna have spin class and weight lifting today.

[Muss Muggins]

Rode my bike to the Y this morning, did some pull ups, push ups, and crunches, and road back. Some days, I do tire flips instead. I drive on days I hit the weights. Try to eat as healthy as we can. Grilled fish and chicken, ground turkey substituted for beef, veggies. I like pasta and beer too much to look like the cover of Men's Health, but my clothes fit and I don't get out of breath tying my shoes . . .

[Beruisis]

for everybody reading this & considering getting back in shape this time of year; be certain to read the thread further down the list regarding heat stroke. It is very pertinent & can have serious after effects. I've been through it & will always warn others about it.
Beruisis

[Muss Muggins]

Originally Posted by Beruisis

for everybody reading this & considering getting back in shape this time of year; be certain to read the thread further down the list regarding heat stroke. It is very pertinent & can have serious after effects. I've been through it & will always warn others about it.
Beruisis

Probably also a good idea to make a stop at the doc's office if you don't already do it annually

[ParadiseRoad]

...I throw 210 pounds on a barbell twice a week and do squats...6 reps...then finish with with some upper body work...I was up to 9 reps with the squats last fall...but had to quit for awhile do to a recurrence of a minor health problem...hope to work back up to 9 reps this fall again...not too bad for 63...and of course I do three or four laps around the property (four acres) with the Basset Hounds everyday...

[CBus660R]

BTW, I see lots of folks who like walking. For those that don't know, walking burns as many calories per distance covered as running, just not as quickly I do run some, but I also make sure I take the pup for long walks every evening after dinner. As long as you're moving, you're improving!

[snubbyfan]

Originally Posted by CBus660R

BTW, I see lots of folks who like walking. For those that don't know, walking burns as many calories per distance covered as running, just not as quickly I do run some, but I also make sure I take the pup for long walks every evening after dinner. As long as you're moving, you're improving!

"As long as you're moving, you're improving."
I like that.

[kwselke]

Originally Posted by snubbyfan

"As long as you're moving, you're improving."
I like that.

Staying active is a key element. When I was out on my 5.9 mile walk this morning I realized I did not turn on my TV at all yesterday. I walk because it puts less strain on my 60 year old body than running. I also love the outdoors. My knees and left ankle tell me when I need to ease up on the walking, they would scream bloody murder if I ran. My additional walking today will be a trip to the grocery store for a gallon of milk, which will be a two mile round trip. If the grocer does not have any craft beer that interests me, I'll walk to a liquor store this afternoon, which will be a 1 3/4 mile round trip walk. Don't ever give up.

[snubbyfan]

Speaking of moving, it's a warm sunshiny blue sky morning.
They were calling for storms and rain all day but now it just says partly sunny and warm.
I'm gonna spend a few hours in the mountains today.

[Okie21]

I recently lost 20 lbs and although I don't see the difference, I definitely feel it. From a sitting position, I couldn't breathe while tying my shoes. And wearing some of my shorts/jeans with my carry pistol (sd9ve) was quite a challenge. Dropping from 220 down to 200 made quite a difference.

My problem is sweets like ice cream, cake, pie. And I stuffed myself at every meal. I cut back at meal times so I don't feel like a beached whale. And I don't eat as many snacks. Not a very scientific method, but I dropped that 20 lbs pretty easy. Now I'm sitting at about 200 lbs and I'm 5'8". I also take walks or ride a stationary bike, but I'm not losing any more weight. I'm sure I need to cut back on the snacks some more.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

[snubbyfan]

I keep hitting sticking points.
I got stuck at 200 for a while. That dropped down to 192. Now I'm stuck at 180.
I'm hoping that I'll start losing more weight soon.
I actually feel pretty good at 180 but like I said, I'd really like to get down to my pre-neuropathy weight of 170.

Right now I'm getting ready to spend at least a coupla hours hiking in the sunshine.

[susieqz]

walking is great, but you gotta find other ways to exercize.
i always walked lots n needed no diets, but then my knee went.
it got fixed, but only somewhat.
i'll never be able to do long walks again but i still gotta move around.
i'm happy i don't need a cane but i sure miss very early morn walks when the animals move around.

[PatriotX]

Good job on the fitness regimen, Snubby!

I've been dropping a few pounds myself, and am on the very last notch in the gorgeous custom belt you made me ! Any more and I'll need a new, smaller one.


You're spot-on about the insulin reaction too. Some excellent reading on the affects of it can be found in The Zone Diet book. I watched my mom melt 80lbs off by *walking* and eating a balanced Zone approach. She was also able to manage blood sugar without injectables this way.

The Zone revolves around balancing your food intake to minimize the insulin 'hit' (my words) and is pretty generous calorie-wise IIRC. The right ratio of fat/carbs/protein is key, and sometimes eating MORE food to achieve correct ratio prevents weight gain !!!

[the ringo kid]

Originally Posted by snubbyfan

I keep hitting sticking points.
I got stuck at 200 for a while. That dropped down to 192. Now I'm stuck at 180.
I'm hoping that I'll start losing more weight soon.
I actually feel pretty good at 180 but like I said, I'd really like to get down to my pre-neuropathy weight of 170.

Right now I'm getting ready to spend at least a coupla hours hiking in the sunshine.

These are Plateaus. Happens to me after losing about ten pounds-then I stay at the weight for about 2 weeks-then drop more. However, I gained about 5 pounds of muscle in 3-4 months--so I gotta figger how to drop that in fat.

I still go to Freedom Fitness every morning for about an hour. I start with 30 minutes either on bike or treadmill. On bike--I start off with resistance at 16--only goes to 20. Do that for 20 mins then up goes the resistance to 20 for ten minutes. The treadmill--I start off with incline at 15 degrees-going 3.1 mph, the last ten minutes incline is topped out at 20 degrees.

Then I do various weight machines. I hate doing individual weights--plus I have some muscular distrophy in my upper arms--so ill never look like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

[snubbyfan]

Originally Posted by the ringo kid

These are Plateaus. Happens to me after losing about ten pounds-then I stay at the weight for about 2 weeks-then drop more. However, I gained about 5 pounds of muscle in 3-4 months--so I gotta figger how to drop that in fat.

I still go to Freedom Fitness every morning for about an hour. I start with 30 minutes either on bike or treadmill. On bike--I start off with resistance at 16--only goes to 20. Do that for 20 mins then up goes the resistance to 20 for ten minutes. The treadmill--I start off with incline at 15 degrees-going 3.1 mph, the last ten minutes incline is topped out at 20 degrees.

Then I do various weight machines. I hate doing individual weights--plus I have some muscular distrophy in my upper arms--so ill never look like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

I also use machines, my neuropathy gives me weak wrists. Even with wrist wraps my right hand wants to flop over.
I don't lift really heavy, rather lotsa reps and sets.

[snubbyfan]

Originally Posted by susieqz

walking is great, but you gotta find other ways to exercize.
i always walked lots n needed no diets, but then my knee went.
it got fixed, but only somewhat.
i'll never be able to do long walks again but i still gotta move around.
i'm happy i don't need a cane but i sure miss very early morn walks when the animals move around.

We also do lotsa biking.
But now that you mention it, we haven't had the bikes out for a while.

[snubbyfan]

Had a coupla hikes today.
My first hike turned out to be a bit of an adventure.
Had a Bit of an Unintended Adventure on Today's Hike

When my wife came home from work, we went on a hike together.

I'm lovin' this heat wave.

[BigCityChief]

Super busy day today - down 27 pounds from my 6/11/16 weight - 1051 calories consumed - 3,000 burned - looking forward to tomorrow.

Keep up the great work, Snubby!


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[4011]

Good on you Mr. Snubbyfan. See being real hard headed ain't all bad!
Keep up the good work.

[vt_shooter]

Lots of good posts here, good timing. I started my trek towards getting fit again this past April. The catalyst for me was my knees - my knees were starting to cry uncle, I was starting to feel pain in my knees. Couple the knee pain with the notion that I’m 6’ tall, I was quite over-weight at almost 220, 59 years old, and two of my co-workers who are younger than me, both over-weight, and already had knee replacements. 94% of the people who get knee replacements are over-weight. I’m a coward when it comes to the notion of someone taking power saws, drills, and a hammers to my leg bones, I become determined to get as much milage out of my natural knees as possible. I went on a diet in April, (~95% of weight loss is from diet, not exercise), I'm at 188 now, heading for 175. And I don’t feel anything in my knees any more - they definitely felt better after losing just 15 pounds. Once I pass 185 the exercise starts, the goal being to wait for decent weight loss before I start asking my knees to take put up with more activity. I miss my daily beer or two though - the 300+ calories in a single can of my favorite beer represented nearly 20% of my daily weight-loss caloric intake. I am limiting myself to a beer a week, until I get to 175, then maybe 2 or 3 beers a week. Even wine - a glass of wine is over a hundred calories, it clearly does not take much of life’s enjoyments to slowly take a toll on the body weight-wise. New habits & food & alcohol intake are my future, everything in careful moderation, I’m not letting my weight get back there again.

I plan to spend my 60th birthday in 2 months hiking up a Vermont mountain, something I could not have done back in April.

[vonn]

Coca cola is my nemesis,I am a addict. After my morning coffee I have a have a Coke on the rocks handy until I am back asleep. I am shrinking the intake and switching to water.

[kwselke]

I'm taking a rest day today. I've read that rest is an important element in a fitness program. I've not taken a rest day since the 4th, which according to my Google Fit app was 89.1 miles of walking ago. My left ankle always hurts, but my right knee started sending me messages yesterday. Beer! Not the beer! There was something about turning 60 that was motivating for me. I think I started to realize my remaining days are numbered and I want to enjoy them in as good of health as possible. I'll never be in as good of shape as I was when I was 29, but I'm in fair shape for a 60 year old and and can do better if I simply keep trying.