Healthy Living 101

[glassman]

My prognosis for '13 was and is fair. I give myself a C. Did not "pencil" in enough time for my cycling. Eating is getting better. My wife and I are slowly making the conversion to "whole" foods.

We went away for our 25th anniversary (d-world/miami beach/sema) and on the whole trip we ate good, one large meal and very lite the other two/three. Kept our cocktails to a minimum. Walked massive amounts at D-world and SEMA and i still gained 3 lbs. So I now, at 47, have to watch my intake more than ever. When i'm on my bike, i usually ride 1 to 1.5 hours AT SPEED.

I still haven't met with a nutrionalist. Just did testing at an allergy doctor (our deductible is paid and my wife made the appt for the both of us). I'm pretty much allergic to any green lol. Which i've known for years, which is why i've always eaten good and exercised. But this getting older thing is strange. I've got to adjust/dial in as my body changes. Its like a carburetor , you have to adjust it for the differing variables life gives you......

So for next year, no real lofty goals, consistently ride and consistently eat better. Recognizing the need for change is the opposite of complacency....and bodies at rest stay in rest and bodies in motion stay in motion....

[Code510]

I'm pretty excited because lately I've been able to open up my schedule a bit.

I now have 35-45 minutes 4-5 times a week to work out. I do it first thing in the morning, before week. This week was my first week, so I just did some basic circuit training to get my body use to it again. This coming week I'll hit the weights a little harder.

Looking to drop some weight and just get in better shape. I know part of that is my diet, but for me, its hard to get motivated on my diet when I'm not working out at all. I figure I'll work out for a week or so, get that in check, then start tweaking my diet. Baby steps so I don't burn myself out. I want this to be a long term plan.

[Vegas69]

Originally Posted by glassman

My prognosis for '13 was and is fair. I give myself a C. Did not "pencil" in enough time for my cycling. Eating is getting better. My wife and I are slowly making the conversion to "whole" foods.

We went away for our 25th anniversary (d-world/miami beach/sema) and on the whole trip we ate good, one large meal and very lite the other two/three. Kept our cocktails to a minimum. Walked massive amounts at D-world and SEMA and i still gained 3 lbs. So I now, at 47, have to watch my intake more than ever. When i'm on my bike, i usually ride 1 to 1.5 hours AT SPEED.

I still haven't met with a nutrionalist. Just did testing at an allergy doctor (our deductible is paid and my wife made the appt for the both of us). I'm pretty much allergic to any green lol. Which i've known for years, which is why i've always eaten good and exercised. But this getting older thing is strange. I've got to adjust/dial in as my body changes. Its like a carburetor , you have to adjust it for the differing variables life gives you......

So for next year, no real lofty goals, consistently ride and consistently eat better. Recognizing the need for change is the opposite of complacency....and bodies at rest stay in rest and bodies in motion stay in motion....

Mike, I think life requires continual adaptation. It become crucial as we age. In my opinion, you must live cleaner on average.

Good to hear you are proactively looking for improvement. I don't think we can ever know to much or try to many new things. It's the accumulation of small improvements that lead to optimal health. I know I'm still learning lessons.

Originally Posted by Code510

I'm pretty excited because lately I've been able to open up my schedule a bit.

I now have 35-45 minutes 4-5 times a week to work out. I do it first thing in the morning, before week. This week was my first week, so I just did some basic circuit training to get my body use to it again. This coming week I'll hit the weights a little harder.

Looking to drop some weight and just get in better shape. I know part of that is my diet, but for me, its hard to get motivated on my diet when I'm not working out at all. I figure I'll work out for a week or so, get that in check, then start tweaking my diet. Baby steps so I don't burn myself out. I want this to be a long term plan.

Good for you, I couldn't get by without working out at this point. My body revolts as I've worked out consistently for 18 years now. I used to drown my sorrows and stress in beer. Now, I run or lift weights. It works better and no hangover.

Nutrition really is everything. A buddy and I met at a local gym for a run this week. I was a member for many years in the past and recognized many of the same people. They looked to be in similar shape, just older. They appear to have the fitness consistency but making no progression.

The moral of the story is that dialing in your nutrition is the key to the physique you desire. You don't have to kill yourself in the gym. I work out 2 hours a week and stay fit. It's what you do a majority of time that matters. You can still enjoy rich foods a minority of the time and have good results.

[Vegas69]

Here is a body fat chart I found online. This is what really matters. What is your body composition?

Jack Lalanne said, It's what you see in the mirror that really matters, not the scale.

[Tony_SS]

One thing I've learned is that if you want to loose weight, you change the food you eat. If you want to shape your body, you work out.

You can not loose weight by working out alone. You can sweat 4 hours a day in the gym, if you're not eating the right foods or eating the wrong ones, you'll have a very hard time loosing weight and shaping your body.

It all starts with the correct food intake, your body will loose weight on that alone. Working out is just the fine tuning and shaping.

-----

The wife is one pound away from losing 50 lbs since May! She gained a lot of weight after chemo, the steroids did that. So losing 50 lbs is 6 months is a big deal for her. She had done that by going Paleo with me. No major workout regimen although she does walk on the treadmill from time to time.

We are now working on her family... all of which seek out food for comfort. I went down there last week and opened their pantry and we blown away by all the grains, cookies, crackers. Diet this and that. Aspartame sweeteners. Just the worst stuff you can put in their body. The wife is working on them to cut out their grains and increase their meat/veggie intake. But when you eat to fill a void, its sugar and grains that you crave. That's going to be a challenge to get them eating better. I really have little tolerance for that excuse, but realize that its a disorder like alcoholism or drug abuse.

[Vegas69]

I think it's about time I updated this thread. Merry Christmas all!

I've learned so much about health and nutrition over the last year and a half. It's been a constant study and experiment for me. When I started down this road, my first nutrition experiment was from Jack Lalanne. Jack had a whole food philosophy and a big proponent of juicing. I made tweaks to that philosophy based on modern science and information and saw great results and felt great for some time. Up next was the China Study which is also a whole food/plant based philosophy. The major difference is that it's a plant only based philosophy. I never got there but I did get to the point where I was only eating meat a few times a weak. This philosophy got me cut and got my plumbing working better than ever with the addition of a probiotic. After a few months, I started to feel depleted and that I needed some tweaks and I started adding in lean meats again, once a day. That paired with the desire to build muscle vs. lean out. My goal for 2014 is 170 lbs and 10% body fat. I was at 160 lbs on my mainly vegetarian diet at roughly 9-10% body fat. Basically, I want to add 10 lbs of muscle.

Recently, I read "The All Pro Diet" by Tony Gonzalez. http://www.amazon.com/The-All-Pro-Di...s=all+pro+diet
Tony is one of the finest tight ends to ever play pro football. He was a Vegan for a short time and also was influenced greatly by "The China Study". I found it interesting that he also felt that a vegetarian/vegan diet reduced his performance in the gym and on the field. I had come to that conclusion and changed my diet right before I bought the book. The short story is that he is still a major proponent of a whole food, plant based diet with the right lean meats and protein powders. Wild Salmon, Grass Fed Beef, etc..

A whole food/plant based diet is still the major in the diet.

Here's where he changed my trajectory. He starts most days with a smoothie for breakfast. I've juiced, I've consumed healthy prepared breakfast. The smoothie is the best I've ever experienced in the morning. I made some minor tweaks to his power smoothie:

4-6 ounces of Unsweetened Almond Milk (Organic)
1 scoop of Protein Powder(Hemp, Rice, Pea)
1 large handful of Spinach (Organic)
3-4 Baby Carrots (Organic)
1 scoop of Acai Berry Powder (Organic)
3 frozen Strawberries (Organic)
1 handful of frozen Blueberries (Organic)
1 handful of frozen Rasberries or Mango (Organic)
2-3 ounces of Coconut Water
1 scoop of Green Vibrance (Love this one with Probiotics)

It's right at 400 calories and you can make it with a decent blender. It's the best breakfast kick I've ever experienced. Full of nutrients, fiber, protein, and super foods. The time investment isn't bad and the clean up is a snap vs. juicing.

This combined with adding a lean meat into my lunch or dinner teamed with my whole food/plant based diet has made my body respond. I've already put on 5 lbs of muscle on my legs, back, and upper body.

Example of a favorite lunch:

6 Oz of Bison
Quinoa
Broccoli
Asparagus
Onion
Stiraccha

It's fun to be at the point where I can tinker with my body with diet and workouts. I've increased my rest to 30 seconds between sets and the duration of my workout to 40 minutes 3 days a week. I'm now running only one day a week to keep my cardio.

The main thing is to keep learning and progressing. Treat your body like a temple, it's the only place you have to live....

[glassman]

So cardio only once a week? I guess that keeps it up, i always thought three days 20 min was minimum. But in the gym, lifting etc, you get a little cardio anyways dont ya? it aint like your home sittin on the couch...

Your deviated septum any better? i either have a small cold or some winter allergies up here in the Bay Area...i'm not ponduring surgery yet.

Still trying to dial in my 47 year old diet....as much whole foods as possible, but working out is not consistant and thats pissing me off. I have a concept 1 rowing maching i use once or twice a week and cycle for an hour once or twice a week,,,,but i'm plateauing....

[Vegas69]

I'm still only resting 30 seconds between sets which feels like a day off compared to the 15-20 I was doing for a year but still gives me some cardio benefit. I agree that I will lose some of my aerobic capacity. The combination of the high intensity weights/running/diet got me lighter than I want to ultimately be.

I spent a majority of the last 15 years lifting heavy weights for bulk. Recently, I have gone the opposite way and achieved the best aerobic fitness and body fat % of my life.

Now, I'm going to take my experience from both and hopefully find a balance mated with the nutrition plan I've established. My goal is to gain some muscle and strength while keeping a reasonable aerobic ability. I think 170 and 10% body fat will do it.

My nose is still a bit of a nuisance. It's the best it's been in some time. In fact, I just had an appointment with my ENT on Thursday. He can't help me improve my nose an further without surgery. It's elective and I'm choosing not to do it at this point. The Green Vibrance has helped my allergies to the point where I have taken very few allergy pills over the last few months. Between the breath right strips and sleeping on my back, I've been sleeping decent lately.

I just had my mountain bike changed up a bit. I made it more comfortable with a different riser and on/off road tires. I rode it up to Starbucks today and it's not bad. I think I'd rather run. ha ha

[Tony_SS]

Originally Posted by Vegas69

I think it's about time I updated this thread. Merry Christmas all!

Looks like you gave up dairy? That is one issue too, where you might have a slight allergy too, or not. I know dairy does cause inflammation which generally wreaks havoc on some people's sinuses.

[Vegas69]

Originally Posted by wanman

Kind of odd what a guy can read on a car forum. Glad you posted this a long time ago and it kept going.

Three years ago December I weighed 316, and my Doctor told me to fix it, so I spent nine months dropping 90 pounds. Long story short i gained 66 pounds back over the last two years.

I have to get back to what I was doing then, and many of the things I have read over the last hour is what I did. I started slow on the exercise, walking a mile, then running five miles six days a week because I was addicted to it. I was burnt out at the end and just quit. I was doing a 1600 calorie a day diet the nutritionist put me on to lose weight fast, and I just never took myself off of it, so that burnt me out.

I wrote everything in a book, and that tip is a great one, you learn what everything is calorie "wise", it drove my wife crazy to go to the store with her, lol. She is a runner, has been for years, 20 miles a week.

Thanks Todd, and everyone else, my fat ass is now motivated again. I think checking in here is what I need.

Joe

Joe, glad to hear you are motivated to change in 2014. It really comes down to a simple new discipline repeated everyday.

My advice is to find something more sustainable this time around. From the outside looking in, your calorie intake is low for that much exercise and your size. If you are losing weight to quickly, you are not going to stick with it long term. You will be hungry far to often and lack the stamina to keep up with your exercise program. Adjust your calorie intake to lose a few pounds a week. Maybe 2000-2200? You'll have to find your own sweet spot by tracking your calories consumed vs. burned teamed with the scale and body fat.

Next, I think you are killing yourself with that much running. I can't run that much. Shoot for 4 days per week in the 30-45 minute range. Work in some strength training to gain strength and muscle to aid in calorie burning.

The key is LIFESTYLE change that you can live with until the end of time. Sure there will be days where it will take all the discipline you can muster but it sure beats the alternative. Keep checking in with your progress as I'll be happy to keep you accountable. I'd also urge you to tell your Wife, Kids, and Friends to twist the screw on yourself. Set goals with specific dates, weights, body fat, etc...

Good luck!!!

Originally Posted by Tony_SS

Looks like you gave up dairy? That is one issue too, where you might have a slight allergy too, or not. I know dairy does cause inflammation which generally wreaks havoc on some people's sinuses.

Hey Tony, Hope you are well buddy. I haven't given up dairy but my intake has diminished dramatically. My nutrition has been that way for 6 months or greater. I still like my pizza and will allow light cheese on some meals out. It's my opinion that it's what you do a majority of the time that makes the greatest difference.