Exercise routine

Not long after I started working in an office I found I couldn't eat quite as much as when I was younger and more active. I switched to this diet: eat whatever I want for breakfast, whatever I want for lunch and whatever I want for dinner - but nothing else. In recent years I've found I have to convince myself that I don't want much for lunch.

As far as exercise, I ride a bicycle a decent amount and do weight training with modest weights. I probably due some kind of exercise 5-6 times a week.
 
A buddy of mine is into the Crossfit thing and he swears by it. He has lost weight and looks great. I'm no going with the full-on paleo diet, but I've certainly cut back on my carb intake.
I'd rather not join a gym or club because I like exercising on my own schedule.
 
A buddy of mine is into the Crossfit thing and he swears by it. He has lost weight and looks great. I'm no going with the full-on paleo diet, but I've certainly cut back on my carb intake.
I'd rather not join a gym or club because I like exercising on my own schedule.

You could always take on an extra job at the factory and replace the fork lift when wood shipments come in

MichaelSwiftConnacht_log.jpg
 
I'm turning 35 soon and have never had an issue with keeping fat off for until the past couple of years. I've got into the whole paleo/primal thing and having great results. Mark Sisson has a great book (The Primal Blueprint) and blog (www.marksdailyapple.com), and is basically a lifestyle plan rather then diet and exercise. It says to avoid grains and sugars, eat organic when possible, embrace saturated fats, move slowly often (e.g. walking), lift heavy things a couple times a week, do sprints once a week, have play time, sleep lots etc. I'm well on my way to being "fat adapted" and have effortly lost about 15lb in 10 weeks. It's not 100% strict and allows for lapses from time to time.

It focuses on glycemic load and insulin response, cholesterol etc which is obviously important for long health, and I'm finding it fascinating to learn about.

Highly recommend the book and blog, I've got more energy than before, dropping weight like nothing else and feel great.
 
I lost around 50 lbs across 2 years without working out too much. The biggest help for me was to stop eating out and cooking most of my meals. This allowed me to control portions and keep an eye on ingredients. There were a couple of times where my weight plateaued for weeks, I got hung up at 200 lbs and it took well over a month to break through that barrier. I thought my scale was broken or intentionally messing with me! Recently I picked up a set of used powerblocks to help build up some muscle to help me get rid of the last 10 amazingly stubborn pounds.

Just be sure to allow yourself some wiggle room so you can enjoy the things you like, or you can find yourself annihilating a bag of cookies in record time. I have learned to make a pretty mean pizza from scratch to help keep the pizza monster away.
 
I'm turning 35 soon and have never had an issue with keeping fat off for until the past couple of years. I've got into the whole paleo/primal thing and having great results. Mark Sisson has a great book (The Primal Blueprint) and blog (www.marksdailyapple.com), and is basically a lifestyle plan rather then diet and exercise. It says to avoid grains and sugars, eat organic when possible, embrace saturated fats, move slowly often (e.g. walking), lift heavy things a couple times a week, do sprints once a week, have play time, sleep lots etc. I'm well on my way to being "fat adapted" and have effortly lost about 15lb in 10 weeks. It's not 100% strict and allows for lapses from time to time.

It focuses on glycemic load and insulin response, cholesterol etc which is obviously important for long health, and I'm finding it fascinating to learn about.

Highly recommend the book and blog, I've got more energy than before, dropping weight like nothing else and feel great.
I think that looks really interesting! It just makes sense to use your body in the way it was intended to be used. Thanks for the link!
 
A big lesson to take away from this thread is to respect your joints! More than a couple of us here were a little too over indulgent in our younger years and have destroyed our hips and/or knees. PAY ATTENTION to what your doctor says and let things properly heal if you make a mistake. Of course, avoid falling out of moving car windows at 40 MPH and don't go insani-skiing at Alta at age 40 with a bunch of pros, or insist on running marathons after the doctor tells you NOT to. You will regret it. And contrary to popular belief, you are not invincible. Walks with the wife and dog are a great way to keep fit. :cool:

And Markie looks HOT in spandex. :eek:
 
I think that looks really interesting! It just makes sense to use your body in the way it was intended to be used. Thanks for the link!

agree, it makes sense we evolved for millions of years on meat, eggs, nuts etc but only in the last 10,000 years have we had access to lots of grains through agriculture. It's not just digestion/insulin response too, but apparently grains have "anti-nutrients" (things that interfere with our absorption of nutrients). I don't want to bang on too much about this, but here's the intro http://cdn.marksdailyapple.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/PrimalBlueprintIntro.pdf which again, I highly recommend reading. If you want to know more, then subscribe on his site, you get some cool links and he sends you some daily lessons which are also great.

On the joints thing, I've also been trying to get into the minimalist shoe thing. I over did it about 6 months back and got a stress fracture in my foot... I have been reading a book by Barefoot Ken Bob Saxton (mentioned in "Born to Run", fantastic book!) and his way of running is almost zero impact. Sounds weird I know, but by using your feet as a gauge (he says you MUST go barefoot), bending your legs lots, leading with the hips, relaxing your calves, curling your toes for a ball-toes-heel strike, keeping upper body straight, head up etc, you can run and run without injury, yes even on hard surfaces and rocky trails! Here's a quote from Daniel E. Lieberman (professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard):

“By landing on the middle or front of the foot, barefoot runners have almost no impact collision, much less than most shod runners generate when they heel-strike"

I went for a quick run the other day attempting to use the barefoot technique and had no problems the next day, will do more and more in the coming months and see how it goes...
 
Go cycling. Repeat. I enjoy it because I'm outdoors and going somewhere, rather than sweating in a gym indoors. It becomes an experience rather than a chore. But basically find anything you find enjoyable, something you'll want to do and not just feel obligated to do.

Adjusting your diet goes a long way. Whole grains, nuts, fuits and veggies, lean protein, limit processed foods. The stuff your body is designed to eat. ;) I've been amazed at how much better I feel and how much more energy I have when I eat right. Same or less calorie intake compared to when I ate junk, but much better return.
 
I am gonna get taller... then the weight will redistribute ....I am with you Shawn...have started walking about 4 times a week for about 3 miles each day.... and have cut out sweets...while I am trying to lose I am only eating a non fat yogurt for breakfast and fruit for lunch then a regular dinner and nothing after.....

At 62 my Dr says I am in great health but must lose weight!!!!

"nobody loves a fat man ...but oh how a fat man can love"


Ron
 
Adjusting your diet goes a long way. Whole grains, nuts, fuits and veggies, lean protein, limit processed foods. The stuff your body is designed to eat. ;)

I am only eating a non fat yogurt for breakfast and fruit for lunch then a regular dinner and nothing after.....

From what I've been reading (and perhaps I should start with a caveat that I've definitely drunk the kool-aid on this stuff, not that I would ever actually drink kool-aid, or have that stuff in Aus), whole grains aren't that good for you (we weren't designed to eat them, since agriculture has been around a very small percentage of our evolution) and low-fat/non-fat products aren't much chop either. Have a read as Mark Sisson can explain it (and back it up with links) way better than I can:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-agriculture-ruined-your-health-and-what-to-do-about-it/

I do believe 100% in this stuff, I've embraced full-fat foods, dropped grains/carbs/sugar and having amazing results. As I said, I don't want to bang on too much about it, but my intentions are just to share this way of thinking as I believe everyone can have similar results through an easy change in diet and more understanding of cause/effect of the things we eat.
 
From what I've been reading (and perhaps I should start with a caveat that I've definitely drunk the kool-aid on this stuff, not that I would ever actually drink kool-aid, or have that stuff in Aus), whole grains aren't that good for you (we weren't designed to eat them, since agriculture has been around a very small percentage of our evolution) and low-fat/non-fat products aren't much chop either. Have a read as Mark Sisson can explain it (and back it up with links) way better than I can:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-agriculture-ruined-your-health-and-what-to-do-about-it/

I do believe 100% in this stuff, I've embraced full-fat foods, dropped grains/carbs/sugar and having amazing results. As I said, I don't want to bang on too much about it, but my intentions are just to share this way of thinking as I believe everyone can have similar results through an easy change in diet and more understanding of cause/effect of the things we eat.

Yeah, the low fat/non fat business is generally bad news, unless it's a temporary thing to reduce fat as part of getting in shape. Your body needs that fat. Non-fat yogurt (especially strained) can be a great source of protein though, just as long as it's made with skim milk and not fillers, and isn't loaded with sugar.

True we're not really built for grains, but things like oats and whole wheat are valuable in the diet, just not in the extreme proportions the modern human diet usually involves. Kudos on kicking the sugar. I've reduced mine greatly compared to old times, but I still end up feeding my sweet tooth regularly.

Proper eating is really something that should be taught to kids in school. The science of how the body uses fuel is pretty fascinating and clearly has very practical applications.
 
Yeah, the low fat/non fat business is generally bad news, unless it's a temporary thing to reduce fat as part of getting in shape. Your body needs that fat. Non-fat yogurt (especially strained) can be a great source of protein though, just as long as it's made with skim milk and not fillers, and isn't loaded with sugar.

True we're not really built for grains, but things like oats and whole wheat are valuable in the diet, just not in the extreme proportions the modern human diet usually involves. Kudos on kicking the sugar. I've reduced mine greatly compared to old times, but I still end up feeding my sweet tooth regularly.

Proper eating is really something that should be taught to kids in school. The science of how the body uses fuel is pretty fascinating and clearly has very practical applications.

I was listening to a podcast yesterday that talked about genetically altered wheat acting like an opiate... lol... no wonder I love my pizza!

http://beforeitsnews.com/food-and-farming/2012/09/genetic-modification-turned-wheat-into-opium-poison-addictive-synthetic-protein-stimulates-appetite-2444384.html
 
As an avid distance runner, mountaineer, & backpacker, exercise is something near and dear to me. I used to be non-active until my mid 20's. Then the doctor told me I was going to have to go on blood pressure lowering drugs and that's when it all changed for me. I've been reading through the posts and I'm going to add some of my own personal insight and expertise.

1) On the issue of reducing carbs, forget it. Eat what comes naturally to you without consciously limiting certain intakes. I'm not saying there should be total indiscretion. Obviously, fast food and soda should be moderated... but... out of the normal food spectrum you should just eat what you want. People who limit certain things such as carbs often have insatiable cravings that are never satisfied. This means actually eating more of other things and more total calories in the long run.

2) Forget the walking. I don't want to offend anyone but walking as a form of exercise is a complete waste of time. Walking does not get your heart rate to levels that have any cardio benefit whatsover. It also burns very minimal calories. It's been proven that running the same distance actually burns more calories... not to mention taking far less time. Vigorous exercise not only burns more calories in a shorter time but it activates several healthy processes in your body that have medicinal and metabolic benefits. Every time you exercise hard, your metabolism spikes, meaning you'll keep burning extra calories for sometimes hours after the exercise is completed. Weight training and running are 2 things that will spike ones metabolism for an extended period of time.
 
As an avid distance runner, mountaineer, & backpacker, exercise is something near and dear to me. I used to be non-active until my mid 20's. Then the doctor told me I was going to have to go on blood pressure lowering drugs and that's when it all changed for me. I've been reading through the posts and I'm going to add some of my own personal insight and expertise.

1) On the issue of reducing carbs, forget it. Eat what comes naturally to you without consciously limiting certain intakes. I'm not saying there should be total indiscretion. Obviously, fast food and soda should be moderated... but... out of the normal food spectrum you should just eat what you want. People who limit certain things such as carbs often have insatiable cravings that are never satisfied. This means actually eating more of other things and more total calories in the long run.

2) Forget the walking. I don't want to offend anyone but walking as a form of exercise is a complete waste of time. Walking does not get your heart rate to levels that have any cardio benefit whatsover. It also burns very minimal calories. It's been proven that running the same distance actually burns more calories... not to mention taking far less time. .

I have to respectfully disagree with your points here. I'm sure they were well intended, but extremely generalized nonetheless. Limiting bad carbs is a very good tip for many people, especially ones that cannot plan their meals out, end up eating later at night, or are not able to exercise consistently. The issue of bad carbs vs. good carbs is admittedly a constant debate and can vary from person to person. But the idea of just "eating what you want" can't be a given if there's not a check-and-balance with regard to exercise. As far as a general diet tip, portion control is the best advice I can give. Don't eat every meal until your completely stuffed, be moderate and try not to eat late at night.

Point number two is the one I disagree with more. There are lots of people that cannot exercise vigorously on a consistent basis. Walking can absolutely provide a benefit in bridging the gap between workouts. I find that walking is most beneficial to people that are confined to more sedentary lifestyles, sitting 8+ hours a day at work will take years off of your life. There are people with various injuries and maladies that prevent strenuous or exercises involving high-impact. For them, walking is one of the few things to keep them moving and prevent atrophy. Absolutely vigorous exercise is the best option, but to say walking is a "complete waste of time," is a bit short-sighted.
I have been a personal trainer for the last 9 years, and a martial artists for 26 years. Just my 2 cents :)
 
I have to respectfully disagree with your points here. I'm sure they were well intended, but extremely generalized nonetheless. Limiting bad carbs is a very good tip for many people, especially ones that cannot plan their meals out, end up eating later at night, or are not able to exercise consistently. The issue of bad carbs vs. good carbs is admittedly a constant debate and can vary from person to person. But the idea of just "eating what you want" can't be a given if there's not a check-and-balance with regard to exercise. As far as a general diet tip, portion control is the best advice I can give. Don't eat every meal until your completely stuffed, be moderate and try not to eat late at night.

Point number two is the one I disagree with more. There are lots of people that cannot exercise vigorously on a consistent basis. Walking can absolutely provide a benefit in bridging the gap between workouts. I find that walking is most beneficial to people that are confined to more sedentary lifestyles, sitting 8+ hours a day at work will take years off of your life. There are people with various injuries and maladies that prevent strenuous or exercises involving high-impact. For them, walking is one of the few things to keep them moving and prevent atrophy. Absolutely vigorous exercise is the best option, but to say walking is a "complete waste of time," is a bit short-sighted.
I have been a personal trainer for the last 9 years, and a martial artists for 26 years. Just my 2 cents :)


You are right. Left with no other choice, walking is better than nothing. However, my points were directed to people who are not subject to limitations. With all options open, a completely healthy person who chooses to walk versus more vigorous activities is wasting their time. I'm sure as a personal trainer you are familiar with target heart rates. Walking doesn't achieve even the lowest levels of desired heart rate. If were keep the discussion to losing/maintaining weight, the person who pushes his or herself physically will have exponentially better results in the end and do it in less time.
 
what is the target heart rate for a cardio workout?

I prefer walking to running because it jars my joints less and I tend to pull fewer muscles. When I walk, I walk as fast as I possibley can and I'm hitting 14 minute miles for at least three miles. Granted it isn't a triathalon, but I feel like I am getting some cardio benefit from the activity and I certainly break a heavy sweat while walking.

Blackbird- what form/discipline of martial arts do you practice?
 
You are right. Left with no other choice, walking is better than nothing. However, my points were directed to people who are not subject to limitations. With all options open, a completely healthy person who chooses to walk versus more vigorous activities is wasting their time. I'm sure as a personal trainer you are familiar with target heart rates. Walking doesn't achieve even the lowest levels of desired heart rate. If were keep the discussion to losing/maintaining weight, the person who pushes his or herself physically will have exponentially better results in the end and do it in less time.

Pushing is good--to an extent. If you go too hard and exceed the target range, your workout is not as effective. You also increse your chance of injury.

what is the target heart rate for a cardio workout?

I prefer walking to running because it jars my joints less and I tend to pull fewer muscles. When I walk, I walk as fast as I possibley can and I'm hitting 14 minute miles for at least three miles. Granted it isn't a triathalon, but I feel like I am getting some cardio benefit from the activity and I certainly break a heavy sweat while walking.



Blackbird- what form/discipline of martial arts do you practice?

Shawn, here's a good article about target heart rate: http://www.livestrong.com/article/456525-target-heart-rates-for-weight-loss/

Walking can certainly be a decent workout if you keep a brisk pace.

I think just about anything that gets you up and moving is generally a good idea!
 
Back
Top