Healthy Living 101

[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

[GregWeld]

Todd ---


Get yourself some SIMPLY SALINE NIGHTIME.... and use it!


You won't need the breathe right strips. This stuff has helped me immensely.

[Vegas69]

I've tried saline in the past with very little effect. Is this one more effective?

[GregWeld]

Originally Posted by Vegas69

I've tried saline in the past with very little effect. Is this one more effective?

yeah -- Just saline is a good rinse --- BUT THIS ONE is a miracle for me at least. Keeps me clear all night. It's not a drug like some nose sprays -- it's just saline with some menthol -- but really opens you up and helps keep it that way. For $5 it's worth a try at least.

[Vegas69]

Some I had tried in the past were habit forming. Meaning, it worked great at night but when not in use, it would make my nose worse. I've tried a bunch of prescription and over the counter products over the years.

This one looks to be non habit forming. I'll check it out. Thanks for the info.
http://www.armandhammer.com/personal...h-menthol.aspx

[GregWeld]

Originally Posted by Vegas69

Some I had tried in the past were habit forming. Meaning, it worked great at night but when not in use, it would make my nose worse. I've tried a bunch of prescription and over the counter products over the years.

This one looks to be non habit forming. I'll check it out. Thanks for the info.
http://www.armandhammer.com/personal...h-menthol.aspx

Over the years I've fallen prey to almost ANYTHING that would help me breathe...


What I've discovered is - typical right? - simple.... part of the process is to keep the nasal / sinus passages "clean" and bacteria free... which just leads to better overall nasal health. This Simply Saline Nighttime (which I also use during the day if I'm "suffering") has been amazing for me. I have far fewer overall issues.


BTW -- I had a 6 1/2 hour nasal surgery -- it was the most miserable recovery period EVER (in the universe).... and I think it helped for a couple years at best. After that - we went right back to our usual cycle.

Since I've been using the Simply Saline Nighttime --- I have far fewer issues overall.