What do you all do for health & fitness?

Im of a certain age now (old fart) and its so hard.  I was a skinny kid until about 10-ish and then fat until about 16/17 when I became more active.  I remember a friend's mom I had seen in years marveling at my weight loss and asking how I did it and my truthful answer was "I eat when Im hungry".  But I had bad self image an always thought I was fat even when I was my usual weight of 215lbs at 6'2" (and pretty broad-shouldered).

Working in bars for years there was a battle between pressure to be in shape (to do the job and because of all the girls) and the fact that we always ate at 3am and drank a lot.  When I was 25 it wasnt so hard.  A couple of times I'd balloon to 250 and then work hard to get back down to 215-225.

When I was around 29 I didnt realise how it had crept up on me and I hit 284.  Worked really hard and ended up at 210.  So its always been an up & down struggle with me.  Then I broke my knee which has never been the same and suddenly the activity level drops.

But as I've aged I found the "easy" way I could get in shape before doesnt work (or not as well).  Im back working out and focusing hard on healthy eating.

So the remarks in the Draft thread of players eating eggs and meat - thats straight out of the low carb plan.  And I've read amazing stories of people that cut out carbs and ate moderate meat & fat.

So...long story short, what are your stories?  What do you do?  Especially if you're over 35 (give or take 5 years lol).

37...was exceedingly skinny till Uni then got lazy. Ballooned. Graduated HS at 5'10" 175ish. When I was 27, I was 6' 215lbs and I thought I was huge. Went on a diet plan and got to 185 and found I was way too skinny. I slowly gained it all back and at my biggest was nearly 260. April I began a new program. Back at the gym 5-7x a week and playing more sports again. Cut out booze and processed carbs. At 241 as of last night. Not worrying about the number so much as just making smart decisions and being healthy overall. 

Meal Plan:

Breakfast: Banana and coffee at 8am. 2 fried eggs and cheese on toast with a grapefruit at 10am.

 

Lunch: Turkey sandwich with lettuce and cheese. Yogurt. 

 

Afternoon Snacks: Apple, Orange, Green Pepper, Celery Sticks, Unsalted Mixed Nuts. 

 

Supper: Either ground turkey or chicken breast. Boiled frozen veggies. 

I try to avoid eating after supper but if I do, it's grapes or celery sticks with crunchy peanut butter. 

 

I have an incredibly sedentary job, so I workout when I can and play sports as often as I can. Just to have the heart rate pumping as much as I can. 

Edited May 3, 20178 yr by Noeller

10 minutes ago, Noeller said:

37...was exceedingly skinny till Uni then got lazy. Ballooned. Graduated HS at 5'10" 175ish. When I was 27, I was 6' 215lbs and I thought I was huge. Went on a diet plan and got to 185 and found I was way too skinny. I slowly gained it all back and at my biggest was nearly 260. April I began a new program. Back at the gym 5-7x a week and playing more sports again. Cut out booze and processed carbs. At 241 as of last night. Not worrying about the number so much as just making smart decisions and being healthy overall. 

Meal Plan:

Breakfast: Banana and coffee at 8am. 2 fried eggs and cheese on toast with a grapefruit at 10am.

 

Lunch: Turkey sandwich with lettuce and cheese. Yogurt. 

 

Afternoon Snacks: Apple, Orange, Green Pepper, Celery Sticks, Unsalted Mixed Nuts. 

 

Supper: Either ground turkey or chicken breast. Boiled frozen veggies. 

I try to avoid eating after supper but if I do, it's grapes or celery sticks with crunchy peanut butter. 

 

I have an incredibly sedentary job, so I workout when I can and play sports as often as I can. Just to have the heart rate pumping as much as I can. 

That's awesome.  Congrats on your progress!

Im trying to go very minimal carbs.  Just started (lol).  Its hard.  Im usually a guy that skips breakfast, often skips lunch and then gorges for dinner.  I also have a job where I sit on my ass.  I used to work a 1-9 shift and was better shape because I'd get up earlier and thus was more active, often had "lunch" etc.  Working 8-4 and being a night owl has been hard on me. 

The idea that you can eat fat and red meat if you cut carbs and will be successful is counter-intuitive to everything we've been told.  But everywhere I look seems to be saying the same thing.

Thanks for starting this thread. It's always good to hear I'm not alone, and tips are great.

Since ballooning up to 278 after a ruptured Achilles tendon and switch to a sedentary job, I've recently lost 37 pounds so far.

The main tool I'm using my fitness pal. It's an app that track eating and exercise to calculate weight loss, as well as creating a balance in diet. My doctor also gave me some advice that has worked well for me. He said the best way to lose weight is by monitoring intake, but do what you can to be active. When I'd try to lose weight in the past, I'd go hard at the gym, but not address my intake. I'd then get discouraged and slip back.

Now I do lots of little things that are making a difference- not eating out as much (portion sizes and can't control calories), walking every day, cutting out prepackaged foods, less carbs, more fish and chicken. I also don't deny myself. If I want a cinnamon bun, I'll have one but budget for it, and it's a rare treat as opposed to an every day thing.

a key thing to meal planning: Make your meals smaller as the day goes. Breakfast should be your biggest meal of the day (more time to work it off after). Supper should be your smallest. 

If you're able, try to workout when you're coming off a fast (ie first thing in the morning) as you'll burn pre-existing fat, rather than the food you've consumed during the day. I have a hard time with this one because I'm not a morning person, and like to slowly wake up each day. Can't function at all without coffee, etc. I'm trying to do freeweights at home and some plyometric/bodyweight stuff when I first get up. Do 100 jumping-jacks, 20 push-ups, hit the free weights for 20 minutes....just get the heart pumping and get some exercise in before I turn on the computer. 

I work approx 11-6 each day, then hit the gym from 6-7, then supper. It's a late day, but I just can not bring myself to get up and get going in the morning to hit the gym before work... :s

35 minutes ago, Noeller said:

a key thing to meal planning: Make your meals smaller as the day goes. Breakfast should be your biggest meal of the day (more time to work it off after). Supper should be your smallest. 

If you're able, try to workout when you're coming off a fast (ie first thing in the morning) as you'll burn pre-existing fat, rather than the food you've consumed during the day. I have a hard time with this one because I'm not a morning person, and like to slowly wake up each day. Can't function at all without coffee, etc. I'm trying to do freeweights at home and some plyometric/bodyweight stuff when I first get up. Do 100 jumping-jacks, 20 push-ups, hit the free weights for 20 minutes....just get the heart pumping and get some exercise in before I turn on the computer. 

I work approx 11-6 each day, then hit the gym from 6-7, then supper. It's a late day, but I just can not bring myself to get up and get going in the morning to hit the gym before work... :s

This was something new to me.  I saw a graphic on twitter actually that jumped out at me showing exactly this.  I was doing the opposite. 

Also, before I moved, I had the treadmill set up and for a time would wake up 30 minutes early and use it.  It helped wake me up and I noticed results immediately.  Ill have to dig it out of the garage...lol

Its really hard to find information, especially if you dont have a basis for knowledge.  The "lobby" is everywhere.  Drink milk etc. 

One study I read recently showed how obesity spiked in the US after they issued their food pyramid.  A healthy breakfast, by traditional means, would be loaded with carbs.  Those of us around my age or older probably remember in elementary school being taught that food pyramid. 

I dont know.  Its hard.  We'll see what happens with me.  Fingers crossed ;-)

Left highschool at 6'1" and 195..finished playing ball at 275 and now bounce around at 250-255 pounds...interestingly am now just a shade over 6' tall.

Used to eat 5-6 times a day..with most of carbs consumed in first couple of meals of day and tapering off to pretty much minimal to none from 2-3 pm and on. 

Best way to gain/maintain mass and stay relatively lean. Hit gym 5 times a week or so and stuck strictly to the weights as got enough cardio on the field. 

Like NOeller said in the morning you your body is in carb deficiency so if your goal is to lean up it's the best time to do your cardio as your body will use stored fat energy as opposed to readily available carbs or bastardizing your proteins from lean muscle mass...especially if you eliminated slow released carbs the evening before. 

Pastas.. Rice's..potatoes are worst things for supper as it takes about 5-6 hours for body to access the carbs through digestion and at that point your body is winding down biologically so it stores that surplus in fat cells. Complex carbs in late afternoon/early evening should be avoided.

Same with the fasting or eliminating of meals thinking less calories will help u lose weight..well u will..but it's lean muscle weight and you actually store more fat. The body is a smart system and when it realizes it is not getting consistent adeqaute calorie intake it will go into a survival mode and store most of the calories taken in as fat stores for use later and use muscle protiens as energy source.

Another thing I chuckle about is watching people looking for low or no fat foods thinking it will help them lose weight..it's the carbs killing them and actually you need fat ingested to help lose weight and have body function effectively ..most people I train I have supplement with some type of fats .

I have had people lose 10-20 pounds in a 1-2 month span just by eliminating juices and sodas and all those sugars in them

Im seeing alot about eating "good fats".  Butter etc.  And how its perfectly good for you.  But we've been trained to go no fat or low fat like you said. 

My main stapes have been pizza, spaghetti, lasagna, burgers.  When I would eat healthy it was  potatoes, rice etc.  So obviously doing it all wrong.  Glad to be hearing others reinforcing some of the information Ive been taking in.  Going low carbs...

The only starchy carbs I have are 4 slices of Weight Watchers Multi Grain bread. 2 with eggs at breakfast, and 2 with turkey sandwich for lunch. Other than that, my only "carbs" come from fruit sugars and things like that. Interestingly, one of my biggest problems is not ingesting TOO MUCH fruit. I could sit down and eat a bag of grapes in a half hour, no problem. It's WAY too much sugar, even though it's natural. It all adds up. Everything in moderation, even the healthiest stuff.

Yeah public been misinformed on the low fat stuff.

Look into putting your body into ketosis. Basically eliminating carbs for the most part and eating mostly protein and fats ..no sugars especially refined ones and just good clean green veggies or legumes.

Your body will after a week or so go into ketosis and burn away fat stores at an incredible rate. Look up info on Ketabolic diets for more info. 

It's the best way to to burn fat in my opinion and not lose any lean weight. 

 

4 minutes ago, Booch said:

Yeah public been misinformed on the low fat stuff.

Look into putting your body into ketosis. Basically eliminating carbs for the most part and eating mostly protein and fats ..no sugars especially refined ones and just good clean green veggies or legumes.

Your body will after a week or so go into ketosis and burn away fat stores at an incredible rate. Look up info on Ketabolic diets for more info. 

It's the best way to to burn fat in my opinion and not lose any lean weight. 

 

Have a couple of friends doing that....the only thing they're "allowed" to have for breakfast is a cup of coffee with a 2 tbsp butter melted into it......they lost me at that point...

8 minutes ago, Noeller said:

The only starchy carbs I have are 4 slices of Weight Watchers Multi Grain bread. 2 with eggs at breakfast, and 2 with turkey sandwich for lunch. Other than that, my only "carbs" come from fruit sugars and things like that. Interestingly, one of my biggest problems is not ingesting TOO MUCH fruit. I could sit down and eat a bag of grapes in a half hour, no problem. It's WAY too much sugar, even though it's natural. It all adds up. Everything in moderation, even the healthiest stuff.

Yup.  Thats a big one.  Ask anyone who is unhealthy and tries a get fit plan, I bet they are doing the "eat as many fruits and veggies as you want" thing.  But for most of us, fruit tastes way better then veggies so we'd end up eating a lot more fruit.  I see it described a lot as "Nature's Candy".  Avoid!  Of course there are some better than others.  Many berries (Raspberries, Strawberries, blueberries) are considered the more acceptable fruit and have other nutritional properties.  Blueberries and Acai, I've read amazing things about.

2 minutes ago, Noeller said:

Have a couple of friends doing that....the only thing they're "allowed" to have for breakfast is a cup of coffee with a 2 tbsp butter melted into it......they lost me at that point...

"Bulletproof coffee".... not just butter but also coconut oil/MCT oil

5 minutes ago, Booch said:

Yeah public been misinformed on the low fat stuff.

Look into putting your body into ketosis. Basically eliminating carbs for the most part and eating mostly protein and fats ..no sugars especially refined ones and just good clean green veggies or legumes.

Your body will after a week or so go into ketosis and burn away fat stores at an incredible rate. Look up info on Ketabolic diets for more info. 

It's the best way to to burn fat in my opinion and not lose any lean weight. 

 

Absolutely.  Thats what Im working on right now.

 

1 minute ago, Noeller said:

Have a couple of friends doing that....the only thing they're "allowed" to have for breakfast is a cup of coffee with a 2 tbsp butter melted into it......they lost me at that point...

That seems very strict.  the "bulletproof coffee", with the butter is always on the "good list" but bacon & eggs is also recommended breakfast.  I actually ate an omelet this morning (i usually skip breakfast) with spinach, onions and cheese and Im still stuffed nearly 4 hours later.  I also like black coffee so I dont need the butter in it.

There are people who say the low carbs/"high" fat program doesnt work.  But I mean, opinion will always vary on everything.  When you dig down into the science of it, its hard to not think its worth trying.  The issues I see with it would be in "cheating" especially unconscious cheating where you think you're adhering to no/low carbs but you're not while still eating lots of fat.  And then hitting a goal and going on a binge.

But the fact you can eat fats that are tasty like butter and cheese and beef, bacon etc, whats not to like!

I'm gonna need more reading on it, I think, 'cause all I got out of Ketosis Diet, was people starving themselves......which too many fad diets mask as "the latest thing!!" I'm never in favour of fancy new ways to drastically reduce caloric intake and give it a fancy name. At the end of the day, if you want to lose weight, take in less calories than you expend...

Not sure what they are talking about with only allowed coffee. You can eat whatever..eggs..bacon..any good protein source and coffee with cream is fine. 

You just want to eliminate the carbs.

I have eaten fish..beef..even stuff like cottage cheese for breakfast or morning meals when doing this. 

When I've been eating this way or have people I train doing it I actually eat more. Starving oneself isn't the way to lose weight.

Actually you should never diet..it should just become your lifestyle change and it becomes how you eat/live..tweak it accordingly 

I find "no carbs" unrealistic and too hard to follow.  I just don't binge on 6 pieces of toast anymore and huge plates of pasta.

I have an egg with 2 turkey sausages in a small whole wheat wrap every morning and it seems to work for me.  

29 years old - 5'11" down from 246 lbs to 223 and still dropping with only casual exercise (long walk every day at lunch, DDP yoga regularly, some weights and sports like golf/softball/hockey).

Speaking of yoga....it's something I have NEVER done, but would really like to get into. I just like the idea of added flexibility, with the added bonus of relaxation...

I'm not into hippie-dippy bullshit, but it just seems like a good idea...

1 minute ago, Noeller said:

Speaking of yoga....it's something I have NEVER done, but would really like to get into. I just like the idea of added flexibility, with the added bonus of relaxation...

I'm not into hippie-dippy bullshit, but it just seems like a good idea...

I highly recommend DDP yoga.  You can buy the videos or find them online for free (illegally).  No hippie bullshit and you do it in the comfort of your home.  I love it.

I've always been skinny.  At age 18 I was 120 lbs.  My uncle lent me his weight set with some books and in a year I was at about 135lbs.  Started getting serious about weight training and over some years I eventually got up to 155 lbs fairly lean.  Got married, had kids, still trained but got lax and the added a small bit of fat and reached 165 lbs at my max.  Unfortunately almost 5 years ago now, I started dealing with health issues where I'd get wiped out if I did too much exertion.  Doctors aren't sure what it was but labeled me with chronic fatigue syndrome.  But at a minor level compared to what others with the same thing have.  I could still go to work, it was only if I overexert myself or get too stressed out that things got worse.  So I had to lessen the kind of weights I lifted by A LOT and because of it my muscle mass started dropping.

We've since moved to another house and I had to put my weight lifting on hold because it's all in my garage with half of our other crap because we just had the basement done, but I still go for walks and try and deadlift things around the house to keep me in shape, but I've since gone back down to 135 lbs, and I'm now back up to 140 lbs.  I'm also less tired lately (so far) and have been able to do more lifting of boxes and what not, so it's possible I'm getting better.  We'll see once I have my weights set up and I can start lifting again to see if it's really going away or if it's just because I've paused on lifting.

But otherwise I'm feeling healthy at 44.  Go for walks every day.  Trying to start doing Tai Chi.  Working around the house and yard (we have 2 acres now).  We eat fairly good food.  Lots of veggies a bit of fruit.  Try to not eat at night.  I rarely eat chocolate or sweets.  I only drink water.  My only vice is salty stuff, and I haven't had that for quite some time...except my wife just bought a bunch of chips so...there may be some weakness in my near future.

Edited May 3, 20178 yr by Logan007

7 minutes ago, Noeller said:

Speaking of yoga....it's something I have NEVER done, but would really like to get into. I just like the idea of added flexibility, with the added bonus of relaxation...

I'm not into hippie-dippy bullshit, but it just seems like a good idea...

I've taken a bunch of yoga classes over the years (my wife is a yoga instructor so I didn't really have a choice! ) and the fluffy crap varies wildly depending on who's teaching the class.  I stick to teachers who aren't super into that stuff.

I'm 6'3 and approx. 195 pounds. I eat 5-6 eggs, a banana, & a handful of grapes every morning. I'll have a chicken sandwich with celery, carrots, wheat thins, and a protein bar for lunch. My dinners are always different. I play a lot of hockey. I used to be in kickboxing, but recently quit. I run approx. 3 miles on my treadmill three or four times a week. My knees hurt too much to run more than that.

Just now, sweep the leg said:

I'm 6'3 and approx. 195 pounds. I eat 5-6 eggs, a banana, & a handful of grapes every morning. I'll have a chicken sandwich with celery, carrots, wheat thins, and a protein bar for lunch. My dinners are always different. I play a lot of hockey. I used to be in kickboxing, but recently quit. I run approx. 3 miles on my treadmill three or four times a week. My knees hurt too much to run more than that.

******* Bo Jackson over here

25 minutes ago, Noeller said:

I'm gonna need more reading on it, I think, 'cause all I got out of Ketosis Diet, was people starving themselves......which too many fad diets mask as "the latest thing!!" I'm never in favour of fancy new ways to drastically reduce caloric intake and give it a fancy name. At the end of the day, if you want to lose weight, take in less calories than you expend...

Yes, true.  But there are ways to do that more efficiently.

A couple of sites Im addicted to right now are dietdoctor.com and eatthebutter.com  Both go into detail about the low carb plan where good fat is good.  Many others too, but it becomes a whirlwind so I've been going back to those two (especially the first one).

The reality is, if you're hungry all the time you will "cheat".  Like others say, its a lifestyle choice which can be hard if you have 30 or 40 years of one lifestyle.  dietdoctor states if you're hungry you're doing their plan wrong. 

Just now, Atomic said:

******* Bo Jackson over here

Lol. I was pretty athletic when I was young, but got really sick for awhile. I've been healthy again for the last few years, so I'm trying to make up for lost time.