Are you in shape?

[Sun Tzu]

After reading a few posts in the EA Active thread, I got to wondering...how many FOFCers, other than Fritz of course, are great big greasy fat manbeasts? How many FOFCers workout every day, or at least damn near, and could even pull off posing in patriotic underpants? Of course this is all relative, because one person might consider themselves slightly out of shape because they use to run 4 miles a day, and now they only run 2...whereas the next person might consider themselves in shape because they just dropped from 30% body fat to 25% just by not eatting cheesy poofs everyday. But regardless of all that...

Are you in shape? What do you do to keep in shape? If you weren't in shape before and are now, how did you get there?

[Lathum]

I am not in shape but by no means and in terrible shape. I am probably 10-20 pounds overweight. I used to be in fantastic shape, but herniated 3 disks in my back 3 years ago and it took a long time to get back to being able to walk upright let alone do anything physical.

I plan on doing more this summer to get back in shape.

[hawk4669]

I am in shape. January 1st? Nope.

I had an epiphany coming into the new year. I was 195 lbs, my cholesterol was way too high (300 plus), and I was grossly out of shape. For someone in my profession, this was a recipe for an early heart attack. And all of that before 34.

January 1st I DRASTICALLY altered my diet, and started exercising on a regular basis. I credit the Wii Fit for helping be my gateway to getting into a routine. All of this on my own without counselling, gimmick diets, or anything like that.

As a point of reference, I tried to run a mile January 1st and failed. Miserably. I was VERY embarrassed.

Today? I'm 150 lbs (45 lbs lost), I run 5 miles a day, and work with weights nearly every day. I'm seeing great returns on the weights (I have abs!!). I feel, and look, great. I'm very happy. The best part? I've cut my cholesterol in half without medication. My body fat on Jan. 1st was 27%. Last check, it was now down to 16%.

Maybe that was a bit more than what you were looking for....but yes, I am in great shape. Now. I'm pretty proud of myself and am motivated to stay where I am now. I am having no problems maintaining my weight with my new good habits, and have seen dramatic differences in my performance at work, etc. It is awesome.

Cheers!

[Dutch]

I run 2-3 miles 3 or 4 times a week, so I guess I've got that going for me. However, I have a nice little beer gut and am about 15-20 pounds overweight. If I could drop 20 pounds, I'd be content with that.

My oldest son (14 years old) started going to the gym every day so suddenly I've got a bit of reason to get into better shape. :)

[Peregrine]

I'm definitely very out of shape.

[JonInMiddleGA]

If you see me running, call 911 because something extremely scary is chasing me. And if you see me engaged in anything more strenuous than changing the disc in my son's 360 so I can play, then you know I was placed in a situation that was pretty much unavoidable. In short, I leave my chair only when I have to and then for as little time as possible. Combine those facts with a 2 1/2 pack a day cigarette habit, a 3 pot a day coffee habit, and what I would conservatively estimate as about 3 times the recommended daily allowance of fats, saturated fats, and pretty much everything else that's considered negative on a food label. I imagine that probably puts me down as a "no" for your question.

Funny thing is that my weight hasn't fluctuated by more than 5-6 pounds from my early/mid-20's to my early 40's and I'm apparently either the right weight or slightly underweight depending upon what standard you want to use (I checked here (http://www.halls.md/ideal-weight/body.htm), first Google for ideal body weight that came up).

Go figure.

[Lathum]

Good for you Hawk!

[Lathum]

JIMG will outlive all of us

[lighthousekeeper]

45 lbs in 5 months? that's f**ing incredible! congrats.

[Noop]

I am shape but I run a lot slower(And can run for too long either) then I use because of my ankle. That being said playing basketball is pain free while playing football makes my ankle swell.

[Sun Tzu]

I am in shape. January 1st? Nope.

I had an epiphany coming into the new year. I was 195 lbs, my cholesterol was way too high (300 plus), and I was grossly out of shape. For someone in my profession, this was a recipe for an early heart attack. And all of that before 34.

January 1st I DRASTICALLY altered my diet, and started exercising on a regular basis. I credit the Wii Fit for helping be my gateway to getting into a routine. All of this on my own without counselling, gimmick diets, or anything like that.

As a point of reference, I tried to run a mile January 1st and failed. Miserably. I was VERY embarrassed.

Today? I'm 150 lbs (45 lbs lost), I run 5 miles a day, and work with weights nearly every day. I'm seeing great returns on the weights (I have abs!!). I feel, and look, great. I'm very happy. The best part? I've cut my cholesterol in half without medication. My body fat on Jan. 1st was 27%. Last check, it was now down to 16%.

Maybe that was a bit more than what you were looking for....but yes, I am in great shape. Now. I'm pretty proud of myself and am motivated to stay where I am now. I am having no problems maintaining my weight with my new good habits, and have seen dramatic differences in my performance at work, etc. It is awesome.

Cheers!

How tall are you? I'm surprised to hear how high your cholesterol was at only 195 lbs! Congrats by the way, I love hearing about people who decide to lose unhealthy weight all on their own.

Myself, I've always had a problem keeping weight ON. I've got one of those metabolisms that's like a cheetah, with rollerblades, on ice. It doesn't seem to matter how much I lift, and what I eat, because I've never been able to get above 158-159. My proudest weight lifting moment was when I was 145lbs and bench pressed 260. That was 4-5 years ago, and yeah...that's not happening again. Now I'm fluctuating somewhere around 140-145, running 3 miles a day, and strongly considering doing a half-marathon either late this year or early next year. I drink beer, and eat chicken, burgers, and steak every damn day.

[clemsonfan]

I am not in shape but I am working on it.

[terpkristin]

I'm in shape, but I have to be a gym junkie. Can't run or do martial arts or play soccer anymore thanks to my ankle, and right now my hand is still fubar'd keeping me from riding my bike. When work (specifically, travel) isn't getting in my way, I'm at the gym 5-7 days/week. Twice a week is 30 minutes of cardio + 1 hour (ish) of lifting, the others are 1 hour+ of cardio.

I've been traveling a lot lately (ever since the launch of NSS-9, actually), so I wouldn't mind dropping a couple of pounds I put on while traveling, but I can still do an hour at a high heart rate, so from a physiological perspective, I'm doing decent.

/tk

[Groundhog]

Two years ago I hyper-extended my knee which put my out of action and saw my weight jump up to about 218lbs at one point. This morning I was at 183lbs, though it may be a little higher than that after my Korean BBQ lunch in 2 hours time. ;)

I go for three 2.5 km jogs per week, play one game of basketball, and do 50 pushups 4 nights a week.

Most important of all was cutting most of the crap out of my diet. I'm a boring eater, so my daily meal of toast for breakfast, soup for lunch, and soup again for dinner doesn't bother me too much, sometimes with some veggies thrown in for good measure. On the weekends I'm far less healthy with my diet, but as long as I stick to it during the week for the most part and keep up my exercise I think I can afford to pig out a few times. :)

[sabotai]

I do work out, but I'm not in shape. I lift weights 4 days a week....well, I try to. Sometimes I miss a few days because of migraines or have to cut back due to pulling something. Since I have started, I have noticed a lot of muscle growth, so I'm not a big fat slob. But I still eat too much so I still have too much of a gut...once I get over that hurdle, I'll be set (plus, I need to work in more cardio).

[Galaxy]

Any good tips/advice for newbies (including the gym) looking to start strength conditioning program? I'm short and pretty scrawny.

[JS19]

I like to think I'm in pretty good shape. Try to run around 25 miles a week, although I'm starting to do sprints in the coming weeks, so that will cut into my distance running, and in the gym 5-6 days. I fall in that category, not to toot my own horn, but somebody who is in good shape, but not satisfied. Mostly when it comes to abs, just can't seem to get them. I would assume it's because I can't seem to stay on a great diet. I'm so strict on myself with diet for about 3-4 weeks, and I'll be the first to admit I really have no clue what I'm doing when it comes to dieting, so I could be doing it totally wrong, but anyhoo, I'm so strict with it I always end up cracking, and then bam, a week long of not giving a shit what I eat/drink, then I start all over again.

[Sun Tzu]

Any good tips/advice for newbies (including the gym) looking to start strength conditioning program? I'm short and pretty scrawny.

Get yourself a whey protien shake first and foremost. When lifting, don't look around at the big roidheads lifting rediculous amounts and jerking their bodies all over the place. Get yourself some lightweight stuff, and just concentrate on form. Get in a solid 15 reps, without breaking form, then 12, then 10, then just go until your muscles fail. Some people prefer to work just one muscle group per day, some like to do two, some like to knock out their entire upper body. Up to you on that one.

[Tiphnie]

How tall are you? I'm surprised to hear how high your cholesterol was at only 195 lbs! Congrats by the way, I love hearing about people who decide to lose unhealthy weight all on their own.

Myself, I've always had a problem keeping weight ON. I've got one of those metabolisms that's like a cheetah, with rollerblades, on ice. It doesn't seem to matter how much I lift, and what I eat, because I've never been able to get above 158-159. My proudest weight lifting moment was when I was 145lbs and bench pressed 260. That was 4-5 years ago, and yeah...that's not happening again. Now I'm fluctuating somewhere around 140-145, running 3 miles a day, and strongly considering doing a half-marathon either late this year or early next year. I drink beer, and eat chicken, burgers, and steak every damn day.

I'm 5'8". And trust me, my diet was awful. Seriously. I gave up a ton of my favorite stuff, and started logging everything I ate to keep track, etc. In all honesty, logging what I ate was huge for me. 1. it showed me how many calories, fat, and cholesterol I was piling on per day and 2. it really helped me tone down my portions and the amount I was eating.

Everyone is different, but it was huge for me.

Cheers!

[Tiphnie]

Uh...that was supposed to be from Hawk4669....but I'm on my wife Tiphnie's PC. :) Doh! My daughter is playing Sims 3 on my computer.

Cheers!

[JS19]

Any good tips/advice for newbies (including the gym) looking to start strength conditioning program? I'm short and pretty scrawny.


Commitment. You need to stick with it, more than likely you will get extremely discouraged and borderline pissed because you feel as though you are getting nothing accomplished. Also, assuming you will be going to a gym, don't feel intimidated or inferior if you see all these muscleheads, or even a guy your size putting up twice the weight. Try to develop a routine, set some modest goals, and go for it.

Oh yea, make sure you use proper form and know what you are doing.

[terpkristin]

Like I said above, I think I'm in pretty good shape. One thing I really need to work on, though, is my flexibility, or stretching more regularly. While most of my joints move too much, I find that many of my muscles, especially those in my legs (in particular my calves and my hamstrings) are always tight. It's weird, I've been told I'm odd because I love cardio and hate lifting. I also get bored with stretching.

Truthfully, I think I only like cardio because I kind of play with it...I have a heart rate monitor and I like to play games to see what I can do with my heart rate while I'm working out. Plus, I use my longer days as an opportunity to "read" as I listen to audiobooks...

/tk

[Galaxy]

Get yourself a whey protien shake first and foremost. When lifting, don't look around at the big roidheads lifting rediculous amounts and jerking their bodies all over the place. Get yourself some lightweight stuff, and just concentrate on form. Get in a solid 15 reps, without breaking form, then 12, then 10, then just go until your muscles fail. Some people prefer to work just one muscle group per day, some like to do two, some like to knock out their entire upper body. Up to you on that one.

How many shakes per day (do you drink it first or after) and where are the best places to buy them?

You should do two or three sets (from 10-to-15 reps) each workout, correct?

I just don't know exactly what to do.

[Comey]

I've dropped 20 pounds since February, simply by not eating as much. I've been told by a lot of people that I look a lot different, though at 220 pounds, I don't feel it.

I'm in reasonable shape, but by all means, not in the shape I used to be in. I can still play some basketball and I pitched five innings of baseball today (after going to two nights of DMB shows in Hartford and never sitting down)...but I have no endurance. I'd like to build that back up, along with toning down and getting to 190-200.

I think I'll take some of the tips in this thread. I know my diet totally sucks...but between my gf and I, our schedules are difficult to match up for a home-cooked meal.

[EagleFan]

I need to seriously get into shape. The numbers don't sound like I am that far off (6'2", 195) but it's not the right 195.

Unfortunately do have one major issue which is a catch 22. I have a medical condition in which I should not work out in any kind of strenuous manner.

I started, but then got sidetracked by lousy weather, to walk each night. I need to get back to that every day as well as cutting out the sodas. I tend to cut sodas out for a bit and then something comes up like a span of overnights needed for work and I go back to them for the cafein, or I have "just one" and it ends up leading me back to my pattern.

I used to be able to eat all sorts of crap and not gain an ounce. I also used to have a job in which I used to walk a lot. Now I am pretty much at the desk most of the day.

[Tigercat]

After reading a few posts in the EA Active thread, I got to wondering...how many FOFCers, other than Fritz of course, are great big greasy fat manbeasts? How many FOFCers workout every day, or at least damn near, and could even pull off posing in patriotic underpants? Of course this is all relative, because one person might consider themselves slightly out of shape because they use to run 4 miles a day, and now they only run 2...whereas the next person might consider themselves in shape because they just dropped from 30% body fat to 25% just by not eatting cheesy poofs everyday. But regardless of all that...

Are you in shape? What do you do to keep in shape? If you weren't in shape before and are now, how did you get there?

Not realy, but been working hard on it. The plan is to be in the best shape of my life by Easter of next year, so I can run a marathon. That goal is something nice and tangible to keep me motivated.

[Galaxy]

Commitment. You need to stick with it, more than likely you will get extremely discouraged and borderline pissed because you feel as though you are getting nothing accomplished. Also, assuming you will be going to a gym, don't feel intimidated or inferior if you see all these muscleheads, or even a guy your size putting up twice the weight. Try to develop a routine, set some modest goals, and go for it.

Oh yea, make sure you use proper form and know what you are doing.

I'll talk to my close cousin when comes up in a few weeks (an D1 college athlete). Maybe have him go to the gym with and have him give me a guide and a workout program.

[terpkristin]

Commitment. You need to stick with it, more than likely you will get extremely discouraged and borderline pissed because you feel as though you are getting nothing accomplished. Also, assuming you will be going to a gym, don't feel intimidated or inferior if you see all these muscleheads, or even a guy your size putting up twice the weight. Try to develop a routine, set some modest goals, and go for it.

Oh yea, make sure you use proper form and know what you are doing.

If you belong to a gym and can afford it, it can help to get a personal trainer for a little bit of time, to show you around the gym and help you formulate workouts (multiple) that will work for you. Doing the same thing over and over gets boring and you can actually train your muscles to "know" what to expect as it were. Some gyms also have programs that are kind of like group exercise for lifting, which can be cheaper than a personal trainer and still give you the exposure to the things you could do on your own, and can be a way to jump in.

I'll also echo what the others have said. Commitment is key, not getting bogged down if you don't think you're making progress. Varying your workouts helps tremendously. And, don't push it too hard too fast. The last thing you need when you're starting out is to go so hard that it hurts so that the next time you "should" go you don't want to (or worse, getting a real injury). Of course, after you get into it, you'll find that one of the best ways to combat the soreness is to go do a lighter workout with those sore muscles. ;)

/tk

[Lathum]

45 lbs in 5 months? that's f**ing incredible! congrats.

not to take anything away but I believe you should lose an average of 2lbs per weak if you take the correct steps, so while I admire him it really isn't an out of the ordinary number.

[Sun Tzu]

How many shakes per day (do you drink it first or after) and where are the best places to buy them?

You should do two or three sets (from 10-to-15 reps) each workout, correct?

I just don't know exactly what to do.

Shakes...I would do one in the morning and one immediately after lifting...but only once you're a few weeks into it. First start out with just the shake after lifting. As far as where to buy them...well GNC is easy and everywhere. Once you find something you like you can just start buying online where you'll get it for 30-50% less too.

Regarding how many sets you do, per movement, per muscle group...well that depends on how much of a newbie you really are. If you're a new, new, new newbie, I'd start out with just 2 or 3 movements per muscle group, and 3 sets per movement. Like for example...if you're doing biceps.

3 sets of preacher curls, 15-12-10
3 sets of standing alternating dumbell curls...same
3 sets of standing barbell (curling bar) curls...same same

[Schmidty]

I'm in better shape now than I have been in years. I'm 5'11" 155 lbs, and feel great. I don't do anything scheduled to stay in shape, but I do play lot's of basketball and golf. I run with my dog sometimes.

The biggest thing is this: I don't snack ever.

[hawk4669]

not to take anything away but I believe you should lose an average of 2lbs per weak if you take the correct steps, so while I admire him it really isn't an out of the ordinary number.

No offense taken. I did what was right for me and it paid dividends. While I didn't have a trainer, diet, etc I was making sure that my doc was happy with what I was doing. Lost most of the weight in 3 1/2 months and have been in maintain mode the last month and a half or so.

All is good. Again, if you're not sure what you are doing is right/wrong always check with your doc or at the VERY least a diet expert/trainer/etc.

Cheers!

[Lathum]

Like I said above, I think I'm in pretty good shape. One thing I really need to work on, though, is my flexibility, or stretching more regularly. While most of my joints move too much, I find that many of my muscles, especially those in my legs (in particular my calves and my hamstrings) are always tight. It's weird, I've been told I'm odd because I love cardio and hate lifting. I also get bored with stretching.

Truthfully, I think I only like cardio because I kind of play with it...I have a heart rate monitor and I like to play games to see what I can do with my heart rate while I'm working out. Plus, I use my longer days as an opportunity to "read" as I listen to audiobooks...

/tk

yoga?

[RainMaker]

Not horrible but the other day I noticed getting winded going up a few flights of stairs. I'm going to hit 30 this year so I just can't get by on age alone. Have made it my goal to start working out 30 minutes a day and getting more active around the house with things. Was considering building a standing desk in the living room so I could surf the net while standing instead of lounging on the couch.

[hoopsguy]

I'm closer to being in shape than I used to be. I've been playing soccer 2x per week and hitting the treadmill another 1-2 times per week. That, plus cutting soda down to one per day, have about an inch off my waist and the weight down about 10 pounds (over three months) to 176.

Ideal body weight, according to the link Jon posted, is about 166 and that is probably a good weight. I think that is doable (better control over lunch, cutting out that last Coke per day, little better job of consistent meals/portions), but realistically if I don't incorporate some lifting into my fitness routine it won't be a great 166. I'll probably be down another inch on my waist and look better than I do now. But it certainly is not going to be a "Bowflex body".

[kcchief19]

I'm horribly out of shape. Weight has always been a problem for me. Funny thing is, in my late teens and early 20s I was more overweight than most and really struggled with my weight and self-esteem about it. I was 6-4, 240 with a 38-inch waist and thought I was "fat."

Today, I'd kill for those numbers. Looking at pictures of myself then, I really I was remarkably trim. When I got a desk job and stopped working in the field, I lost the battle with my weight and really got into trouble. If I lost 125 pounds, I'd be happy with my physical condition but that's very difficult to do.

Complicating matters is that, as some may remember, I ruptured my patella tendon about five years ago. My knees have always been a problem (playing catcher should be considered child abuse, in retrospect). Now I have even less strength and mobility than I used too. My left knee has essentially no cartilage and my right knee has enough subluxation that it is wearing the cartilage there too. Last fall I tore my meniscus and my orthopedist has recommend that I avoid any exercise that puts weight or motion on my knees.

That makes it even harder to lose weight. I almost have to join a gym to exercise because even biking and especially running are not good for my knees. Before I torn my meniscus, I had lost about 30 pounds and was moving in the right direction.

The things I enjoy doing most -- tennis, basketball, etc. -- are things that I really can't do anymore with my knees. I can still run short distance so that's not too much of a problem, but my agility sucks so much that I'm useless at those sports.

[Bad-example]

Are you in shape?

Yes I am, if the shape you are referring to is round. You might have seen me on tv. I was the model for happy fun ball.

Do not taunt me.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

6'2", 260 = not in shape.

Hawk is my f'ing hero.

[RainMaker]

For those who need to lose a lot of weight, let me state that it's actually easier than you'd think. If you treat it as a lifestyle change and not a diet, you can actually eat a lot and slowly drop the pounds. If you're real big, you can actually shed weight real fast.

I dropped about 40 pounds when I was 27 and was able to do it in 5 months. The first two weeks sucked hard but after I got used to the routine, it was nothing.

[jeff061]

I weighed 260 in high school and topped out at 305 when I was 24. Decided to lose weight, dropped 40 pounds in about 4 months and was down to my current weight of about 240 within the year. Did it all through diet alone.

27 now, still the same weight. I'm 6'4" with a wide frame, 240 actually looks good on for me. But I wanted to tone up some(hitting the keyboard leaves a lot to be desired). Started doing dumbell excercises couple times a week off and on just in my bedroom. Certainly not bulked up, but there is a hint of muscle here and there :).

I also mountain biked a lot for a summer, still would, but it's a pain in the ass to drag my bike down a couple flight of stairs to my car. But I want to start that again, I enjoyed it.

So relative to my lifetime, I'd say I am currently at or near my peak physically. I'll never be a marathoner or a gym rat though.

[stevew]

Sadly I think I may have cracked the big 3 recently, I'm 6'4" but need to cut back on some shit.

Ideally I'd like to get down to around 230ish again, clothes fit so much better back then.

[Noop]

For those who need to lose a lot of weight, let me state that it's actually easier than you'd think. If you treat it as a lifestyle change and not a diet, you can actually eat a lot and slowly drop the pounds. If you're real big, you can actually shed weight real fast.

I dropped about 40 pounds when I was 27 and was able to do it in 5 months. The first two weeks sucked hard but after I got used to the routine, it was nothing.

+1

Good friend of mine lost a lot of weight by changing his lifestyle. He simply cut out the soda and snacking while doing nothing. Coupled with getting involved in every basketball league he can find he was able to lose weight.

[RainMaker]

+1

Good friend of mine lost a lot of weight by changing his lifestyle. He simply cut out the soda and snacking while doing nothing. Coupled with getting involved in every basketball league he can find he was able to lose weight.
My mom lost 10 pounds by just cutting out her Pepsi fix. 500 calories a day = 1 pound a week. That should be the goal for anyone starting. That can be 3 cans of soda or a dessert. Once you get that going you can start cutting into the other stuff.

I think we almost scare people into hating a diet. They look at it as starving themselves. Truth is that if you eat good foods, you can eat a shitload of them and still have less calories than what you normally eat.

[jeff061]

My mom lost 10 pounds by just cutting out her Pepsi fix. 500 calories a day = 1 pound a week. That should be the goal for anyone starting. That can be 3 cans of soda or a dessert. Once you get that going you can start cutting into the other stuff.

That's the first thing I did before I really cut down on what I ate. Replaced coke with water, which was actually easier than I anticipated. I'm also a complete coffee fiend, which hasn't changed, but I drink it black now instead of loaded with sugar.

[Lathum]

For those who need to lose a lot of weight, let me state that it's actually easier than you'd think. If you treat it as a lifestyle change and not a diet, you can actually eat a lot and slowly drop the pounds. If you're real big, you can actually shed weight real fast.

.

this is so true, it's little changes.

Egg whites instead of eggs, tea or water instead of soda, wheat bread, etc...

[RainMaker]

I firmly believe that if everyone dropped soda consumption, this country's obesity problem would drop dramatically. It completely sucks at first if you're used to soda, but after a couple weeks, you get really used to water and start to crave it.

I still have issues with drinking water during meals so I do drink a diet Mountain Dew with dinner or some of those fruit flavored waters that have 0 calories.

[Noop]

I firmly believe that if everyone dropped soda consumption, this country's obesity problem would drop dramatically. It completely sucks at first if you're used to soda, but after a couple weeks, you get really used to water and start to crave it.

I still have issues with drinking water during meals so I do drink a diet Mountain Dew with dinner or some of those fruit flavored waters that have 0 calories.

Me and my roommate buy crystal light and not only is it cheaper and it tastes great.

Crystal Light: 4 bucks
Gallon of water: 1.50 X 5

Way cheaper then buying pepsi, juice and that other stuff.

[Racer]

I'm 5'8 1/2 and weigh about 146 pounds. I run around 40 miles a week and have raced two half marathons in the last year.

My diet isn't very good though. I eat a lot of sweets and drink a lot of pop. If I cut that out, I could probably get down to around 140. I also have very little upper body strength and rarely lift weights.

So basically, I'm in shape in some ways and not so much in other ways.

[RainMaker]

Me and my roommate buy crystal light and not only is it cheaper and it tastes great.

Crystal Light: 4 bucks
Gallon of water: 1.50 X 5

Way cheaper then buying pepsi, juice and that other stuff.

I used to drink a lot of Crystal Light. My only gripe is that it stained the shit out of stuff. I switched over to Aquafina FlavorSplash which has 0 calories and is clear.

[ISiddiqui]

I'd say I'm in shape. I'm around 160-65 lbs now (5'11'' in height). I was about 210 lbs two and a half years ago. I started to eat far, far less... basically the portions they give you in restaurants, I decided to eat half and save the rest for lunch or another dinner and that's the portion size I ate at home. Also started drinking diet sodas and cut the amount of salt I ate. And totally cut out snacks (if you don't buy them, when you are tempted, you have nothing in your pantry to eat :D) Also beginning this year started to work out 3 times a week, with 35 minutes of cardio and then 10-15 minutes of weights.

[RainMaker]

I recently bought a BlendTec blender and make a real fruit smoothie every morning. Usually one with grapes and berries. Figured it out to be about 250 calories of pure fruit. Definitely beat my old breakfasts of sugary cereals with milk and/or a McMuffin.

[Galaxy]

I firmly believe that if everyone dropped soda consumption, this country's obesity problem would drop dramatically. It completely sucks at first if you're used to soda, but after a couple weeks, you get really used to water and start to crave it.

I still have issues with drinking water during meals so I do drink a diet Mountain Dew with dinner or some of those fruit flavored waters that have 0 calories.

I've been soda-free for nearly a week. I use the fruit flavored waters or a nice tall glass of milk with meals.

[MrDNA]

Strength-wise I'm in the best shape of my life so far.
Cardio is so-so.
Fat-wise, I really want to lose my chunky gut. Well, I guess not "really want" or else I'd be working on it harder. I exercise plenty, mainly rock climbing, but I can't get myself up for boring exercises.

[Galaxy]

Strength-wise I'm in the best shape of my life so far.
Cardio is so-so.
Fat-wise, I really want to lose my chunky gut. Well, I guess not "really want" or else I'd be working on it harder. I exercise plenty, mainly rock climbing, but I can't get myself up for boring exercises.

Why not hit the pool?

[JS19]

I'm totally on the "no soda" bandwagon. I drink pretty much only drink water, maybe a diet soda here and there, but if you cut out those sugar laced drinks, thats x amount of less calories per day, it adds up.

Another type for being successful is to find a gym partner. Not to say you can't do it on your own, but it helps having someone there to push and challenge you.

Another thing, what do you consider "in shape"? For example, I consider myself a gym rat and like to try all sorts of different workouts and try to get noticeable changes in my physique. I also have friends who aren't so worried about their appearance, but more so of just an overall healthy lifestyle, and they do a little cardio, a quick full body workout, stick to a relatively healthy diet and they are satisfied.

[Fidatelo]

I'm reasonably healthy and fit. All my blood pressure, heart rate, etc numbers are perfect, and I play lots of sports and run distance.

That said, I'm kind of 'spongy'. I'm 5'11" and weigh about 190lbs. If I could drop 10-15 pounds I think I'd be pretty happy, but I have a huge sweet tooth that always undermines my active lifestyle.

I was doing really well back in November (about 182, running very good times), but then I ran into a health issue and packed on some weight over the winter (ended up at close to 200 at one point). I'm supposed to be running my first 1/2 marathon in 2 weeks, and I was just rounding into shape, but then I had surgery 2 weeks ago for the aforementioned health issue and I haven't been able to run yet. I'm hoping that I'll be able to hit the pavement a couple times before the race, and while I know I won't be hitting the goal I had set last fall (1:45), I hope to be able to finish.

That was more than anyone likely cared to read :)

[Desnudo]

Any good tips/advice for newbies (including the gym) looking to start strength conditioning program? I'm short and pretty scrawny.

Core Performance | Powered by Athletes' Performance (www.coreperformance.com)

I highly recommend this site and the programs within it. You can a coupon code for 3 weeks free from Addidas and it's about $10/month afterwards. It provides you with all the tools you need to establish a program based on specific fitness goals so you don't get sucked into the boring and repititious 3 sets and done regime. The old school weight lifting method does not seem to be the most effective method for building functional strength (to me anyway).

[SFL Cat]

Been running, swimming and lifting weights. I'm in the best shape I've been in since I was in my late 20s. [Ashe voice] Anybody want some? [/Ashe voice]

[Chief Rum]

You know, it's tough to say for me. Strictly on the numbers, I am overweight (29 BMI), at 5'7", 185 lbs. and 36 years old. I do have a gut, but it's not a big one.

So by those standards, yeah, I am overweight. But I think I am in great shape. I run about 50 miles per week and workout regularly. I have probably dropped as much as 35 lbs in the past 6 months. I have been as high as 240-250 lbs. (about 6-7 years ago), but nowadays, when I am not working out, I seem to settle around 215 lbs. and when I am regularly working out, I am usually about where I am now, under 200 lbs.

I take multivitamins and have improved my diet a little, and I don't smoke, but I'll admit otherwise, it's not an area of strength for me. I also need to add in more weight work, but I already dedicate so much time to cardio types of exercise, I'm not so inclined to spend an additional half hour to an hour on weightlifting.

[Danny]

Overall, I am a little out of shape and probably 20 pounds overweight. I am 6'3 and weigh 247 or so. I am naturally a big guy and I could never weigh my ideal weight unless I stopped eating and moving all together. 220-230 is a good weight for me. I eat fairly healthy most of the time and my cholesterol was 180 when I had my last physical. I gain/keep muscle pretty easily, but I have to work really hard and keeping my weight down.

I play tennis with my wife and do strength type stuff sometimes. I used to lift more, but do enough now to keep the size and strength that I have. I am pretty strong, and fast for my size but could use some work on my cardio for sure. I hate doing cardio stuff like treadmill, running etc... I enjoy playing sports and am athletic for my size, so that's really what I need to focus on doing more.

[RainMaker]

If you see me running, call 911 because something extremely scary is chasing me. And if you see me engaged in anything more strenuous than changing the disc in my son's 360 so I can play, then you know I was placed in a situation that was pretty much unavoidable. In short, I leave my chair only when I have to and then for as little time as possible. Combine those facts with a 2 1/2 pack a day cigarette habit, a 3 pot a day coffee habit, and what I would conservatively estimate as about 3 times the recommended daily allowance of fats, saturated fats, and pretty much everything else that's considered negative on a food label. I imagine that probably puts me down as a "no" for your question.

Funny thing is that my weight hasn't fluctuated by more than 5-6 pounds from my early/mid-20's to my early 40's and I'm apparently either the right weight or slightly underweight depending upon what standard you want to use (I checked here (http://www.halls.md/ideal-weight/body.htm), first Google for ideal body weight that came up).

Go figure.

I think the "ideal body weight" is mostly bullshit. Most of them are way lower than what seems to be natural to me. I feel like they made those numbers back in the 70's before weight training and such.

For instance, my "ideal weight" is between 140-180 according to the site. Now I'm 6' and could probably hit 180 if I tried, but I'd feel rather skinny. If I wanted any muscle, I'd have to be like a boxer. I have broad shoulders and like to have some muscle so I think 200 is ideal for me.

Personally, I think the scale is a complete waste. Go by body fat and not by actual weight. If you can get that below 10%, you're in good shape. Keep check of other factors like heart rate, blood pressure, and cholesterol. But weight is just a shitty measurement. Some of us have fuller bodies, thicker bones, or retain more water. Most of your top athletes don't come close to meeting the "ideal weight" but are in peak health.

[Danny]

10% is really tough to get to, I'd be happy at 15%

[B & B]

First off, I would never typically respond to this type of thread. I'd be willing to say that the majority of folks here and those who frequent any sim-sports type message board are not on the up and up as models of health. Im no exception.

My sedentary PC driven lifestyle has led to many days/weeks/months of inactivity combined with poor diet and drinks to cause a "career high" weight for myself this year.

About a month ago I said enough is enough and started doing something about it. My story is much like Hawk4669 but Im in early stages. Mid 30s, 5'9 and peaked up at 205. Even with a big frame that is too much weight and it was starting to affect my energy levels.

In the last month Ive been eating much better, and just recently running/tennis a few times a week. Nothing crazy mind you, but a few miles of run-walk and tennis for about 45min. Just the diet got me down 5lbs in the first two weeks, now with exercise Ive dropped another 5 the next two.

Currently weighing in at 195, and plan to be 192 or less by next Sunday. Been setting tiny goals to achieve by certain dates and my current one is to be 187 by June 20. Just the fact that the exercise has kicked in WITH the meal change make me think this is achievable.

I just found out my next goal which is more longterm for August 1st. There will be a mini-triathalon held here and Id like to enter. NEVER have done anything like this but my only goal is to finish. The hardest leg for me will be the 3 mile run at the finish, and I cannot run 3 miles right now without stopping to walk. Just hoping that I can run that distance by the end of this month and really think thats doable.

Its important to have goals and milestones to work towards in order to keep some perspective, but dont get discouraged and forget about the journey to the ends.

[Schmidty]

10% is really tough to get to, I'd be happy at 15%

I was thinking the same thing.

I'm 5'11" 155 lbs (as I said earlier), and I can't imagine how I would look at 10% or lower.

[JeeberD]

I'm definitely out of shape. A week and a half ago I was almost to 230, which was what I weighed about four years ago before I started working out and dieting in order to get in shape for my wedding (I made it down to 200). I've slowly started going back up over the past few years, lackadaisically dieting here and there, but not really sticking to it. But now I finally have something something to motivate me. With my wife being pregnant I've decided that I don't want to be fat and out of shape and hauling around a baby and a carrier, so 12 days ago I started dieting again. I've lost about 10 pounds so far, and I haven't even had a chance to start running yet. (Of course, my wife is mad that I've chosen now to start dieting while she's getting "fat and bloated and ugly" and I made the mistake of announcing my first weeks weight loss on Facebook...that was an argument that I don't want happening again).

Anywho, I hope to back down to 200 or below by the time baby comes in December. So far my will is strong, though working around disgustingly bad for you food every day makes it difficult.

[RainMaker]

10% is really tough to get to, I'd be happy at 15%
Yeah, I agree. It's just a goal I guess. If you're under 10%, you can pretty much be at any weight you want. I'd love to get back to that point someday but just can't give up treating myself to stuff now and then. You have to be so dedicated to your diet that it can make life suck at times.

[BYU 14]

I think I am in good shape for 46, but not anywhere near where I want to be. I quit lifting weights 3 years ago and despite being about the same weight (212-218 range) I have less mass, which means more fat :mad:

I now workout on the Bowflex 3 days a week and starting doing Yoga 3 days a week about a month ago. My biggest weakness is portion control and I hate doing Cardio. Even though Yoga has some Cardio aspects, it is not enough, so I think I am going to change things up bit and go to 4 days on the Bowflex (M, TU, TH, FR) 3 days Yoga M, W, F) and 2 Days Wii Fit (TU/TH) and then work only Abs on Wednesday with Yoga)

I want to have better endurance and be around 200 - 205 by the time Football practice starts. What has helped me before is writing out a menu and eating the same thing every day and of course not missing workouts when at all possible.

[BYU 14]

I think the "ideal body weight" is mostly bullshit. Most of them are way lower than what seems to be natural to me. I feel like they made those numbers back in the 70's before weight training and such.

For instance, my "ideal weight" is between 140-180 according to the site. Now I'm 6' and could probably hit 180 if I tried, but I'd feel rather skinny. If I wanted any muscle, I'd have to be like a boxer. I have broad shoulders and like to have some muscle so I think 200 is ideal for me.

Personally, I think the scale is a complete waste. Go by body fat and not by actual weight. If you can get that below 10%, you're in good shape. Keep check of other factors like heart rate, blood pressure, and cholesterol. But weight is just a shitty measurement. Some of us have fuller bodies, thicker bones, or retain more water. Most of your top athletes don't come close to meeting the "ideal weight" but are in peak health.

I totally agree with the ideal body weight thing, I am also 6' and back in High school I played Football at 170 - 175, then after the season I would cut weight to box at 156 and can't stand looking at pictures from that time now, I was just absurdly skinny, yet 160-180 is my "ideal" weight too. Hell even at 185 I look skinny as I dropped to that weight roughly 9 years ago for a couple of months after an illness. I think 195 -205 feels right for me and fits my body type just fine.

[RainMaker]

I know a lot of people enjoy cardio, but I actually think it's one of the poorer workouts you can do with your time. Focus more on strength training that has a little cardio mixed in. Muscle will speed up your metabolism and help you burn fat much better. Cardio can actually have the negative effect of burning muscle on your body.

I do like jogging but when doing cardio-esque workouts, I try to do stairs or run hills. Swimming is also a great cardio workout that helps build muscle at the same time.

[Ksyrup]

I've been able to keep the weight off since my last concerted effort to lose weight about 15 months ago (at one point was 230ish, now around 160-165). I typically go to the gym 3 mornings a week, although that will be changing this summer with tennis and soccer starting up - I'll kill myself if I try adding the gym, too. So, I think I'm in fairly good shape. Last night at soccer practice I was surprised at how good my conditioning seemed to be.

My body fat percentage has crept back up towards 20%, so I need to do a better job with that to get it back down under 17.5%. I haven't stayed on a strict diet, so that's what is doing it. All the activity is keeping my weight steady, though.

I tried protein shakes very briefly and had a bad experience, so I gave up on them. They made me nauseated and immediately after I started them, I had some sort of stomach problem that lasted 9 days. I have no idea whether the protein shake had anything to do with it, but I'm not willing to find out a second time. But that's a long-term goal for me - get my body fat percentage down and a bit of muscle definition.

[terpkristin]

I know a lot of people enjoy cardio, but I actually think it's one of the poorer workouts you can do with your time. Focus more on strength training that has a little cardio mixed in. Muscle will speed up your metabolism and help you burn fat much better. Cardio can actually have the negative effect of burning muscle on your body.

I do like jogging but when doing cardio-esque workouts, I try to do stairs or run hills. Swimming is also a great cardio workout that helps build muscle at the same time.

There seems to be a big debate about this in a lot of peoples' minds, and when it comes down, it seems that, as always, you need to do both. Your heart also plays a big role in longevity and overall health, so unless you're doing "speed lifting" or something else to get your heart rate UP while you're lifting, lifting alone won't cut it. Neither will cardio, for the reasons you mentioned.

But I still hate lifting. I don't think I could see myself lifting more than twice a week. I do cardio that involves resistance (i.e. adding resistance and "hills" on the elliptical trainer instead of just going on the flat, low-resistance, run-like program), but some of that's because I get bored otherwise. As I said before, I like to play games with my heart rate, and in order to make my heart work where I want it to when I'm at the gym, I can't do the "flat" stuff anymore.

/tk

[boberot]

I'm just over 6' and about 178 -- which sounds great, but it's the heaviest I've ever been.

I've always been very lean, but now -- while I've added a bit of muscle with dumbbells and pushups -- I'm pretty soft around the midsection. I hate it.

I try to jog on the treadmill a few times per week [2.5 miles], but my cardio is absolute garbage these days. It's frustrating for a guy who used to play tennis, basketball, bike, etc as long as I wanted, pretty much.

I keep rationalizing that I'm 36 now, of course I'm going to get tired much more quickly, but the other part of me thinks it's a cop-out to say that.

[Fidatelo]

I know a lot of people enjoy cardio, but I actually think it's one of the poorer workouts you can do with your time. Focus more on strength training that has a little cardio mixed in. Muscle will speed up your metabolism and help you burn fat much better. Cardio can actually have the negative effect of burning muscle on your body.

I do like jogging but when doing cardio-esque workouts, I try to do stairs or run hills. Swimming is also a great cardio workout that helps build muscle at the same time.

From what I've been told, the key to cardio for weight loss is keeping your heart rate in the 'fat burning zone', which is something like 65% of your max heart rate (get out the calculators people!). I think most people likely push too hard when they run (myself included) and end up in the aerobic or anaerobic zones, which have lots of healthy benefits but don't tend to be great for burning fat (as they eat lots of muscle like you suggested).

[Sgran]

I'm between programs right now and feeling like a complete slob. I take short rides on my bike and lift a bit now and then, but all in all I've lost muscle tone and grown out of most of my pants. Cutting out the midweek beers is helping to keep my gut in check, but I need to decide what my workout program needs to be.
I've mentioned in another thread how good yoga has been for my back, but I need to get into some kind of cardio routine. My wife's irregular work schedule makes evening commitments difficult (like, say, going to karate). I probably just need to bite the bullet and wake up an hour earlier, but I've never managed that in my life.

[lerriuqs]

Round is a shape...right?? :D

[rowech]

From what I've been told, the key to cardio for weight loss is keeping your heart rate in the 'fat burning zone', which is something like 65% of your max heart rate (get out the calculators people!). I think most people likely push too hard when they run (myself included) and end up in the aerobic or anaerobic zones, which have lots of healthy benefits but don't tend to be great for burning fat (as they eat lots of muscle like you suggested).

I've heard this before but it baffles me. I'm definitely overweight but I'd say I'm in better shape than many. I weight darn near 300 lbs but can play 2 hours of basketball, up and down the court, better than most the 180-220 pound guys I play with. I can play indoor soccer, outdoor soccer, can run three miles with a minute or two of walking here and there. To look at me is to say fat slob. To play a sport with me is to wonder how in the heck someone that big can keep going.

Sadly, the best way to describe me is fat and in shape.

[Fidatelo]

I've heard this before but it baffles me. I'm definitely overweight but I'd say I'm in better shape than many. I weight darn near 300 lbs but can play 2 hours of basketball, up and down the court, better than most the 180-220 pound guys I play with. I can play indoor soccer, outdoor soccer, can run three miles with a minute or two of walking here and there. To look at me is to say fat slob. To play a sport with me is to wonder how in the heck someone that big can keep going.

Sadly, the best way to describe me is fat and in shape.

But that makes sense. If you're always going hard on the court or pitch, then you'll certainly be maintaining or improving your fitness level and you probably are in decent cardiovascular shape. But likewise you won't be burning much fat.

The heart rate zone for 'fat burning' is pretty low in the context of working out. Personally I just can't keep myself in that level when running; it feels like I'm being lazy. Ideally I would mix it up between hard runs to build speed, endurance, and lung capacity, and then some slow runs to burn fat. But invariably when I try to run slow, after a few minutes I just start speeding up anyways. You don't really get that 'runners high' from a slow jog :)

I think this is why a lot of people feel they lose more weight by lifting than doing cardio. I believe that most people probably spend a lot of their lifting time in that 'fat burning' heart rate zone because you're pausing between reps and stuff. Of course, I hate lifting weights with a passion, so between that and my refusal to reign myself in when I run, I end up with a pretty jiggly body.

[panerd]

Sadly I found out that cutting out drinking alcohol 4 nights a week has made a vast difference in my program. I was lifting and doing cardio 6 days a week and was getting stronger but noticed no gut improvement. On May 1 I cut out alcohol (well with some exceptions but not 4 days a week :-) ) and I am a different body completely. Of course now it comes down to which is preferred, a cut body or the fun of drinking. What sucks the most is I feel guilty about having beers just one night a week!!!

[jeheinz72]

I don't know if I've quite hit the "I'm in shape level" but I've lost 102 lbs over the past 25 months, can run 5+ miles (not like, fast), can swim over a mile (again, not quickly) and am pretty strong.

Still some work to be done before I hit "in shape" but I'm a lot closer.

[Ksyrup]

Sadly I found out that cutting out drinking alcohol 4 nights a week has made a vast difference in my program. I was lifting and doing cardio 6 days a week and was getting stronger but noticed no gut improvement. On May 1 I cut out alcohol (well with some exceptions but not 4 days a week :-) ) and I am a different body completely. Of course now it comes down to which is preferred, a cut body or the fun of drinking. What sucks the most is I feel guilty about having beers just one night a week!!!

I've never been a drinker, so I've always cringed wondering what I would have been like at my heaviest if I added on the typical college/law school drinking. I topped out somewhere around 230-235, but that was totally food and non-exercise.

[Danny]

I don't know if I've quite hit the "I'm in shape level" but I've lost 102 lbs over the past 25 months, can run 5+ miles (not like, fast), can swim over a mile (again, not quickly) and am pretty strong.

Still some work to be done before I hit "in shape" but I'm a lot closer.

Nice! Grats

[Galaxy]

Core Performance | Powered by Athletes' Performance (www.coreperformance.com)

I highly recommend this site and the programs within it. You can a coupon code for 3 weeks free from Addidas and it's about $10/month afterwards. It provides you with all the tools you need to establish a program based on specific fitness goals so you don't get sucked into the boring and repititious 3 sets and done regime. The old school weight lifting method does not seem to be the most effective method for building functional strength (to me anyway).

Thanks. Sounds good. Every site I've seen is a "pay for, buy our product" type.

[DanGarion]

To start off, I'm a big guy, always have been, broad shoulder, barrel chested, etc. I'm 5'11" and right not I'm just a bit over 300, which really sucks ass, up till recently I've usually hovered around 275-285 which still sucked ass. Although I'm a big guy, I'm probably in better shape then most guys my age. Hell my cholesterol is low, something in the low 100s. But then cholesterol isn't entirely dependent upon exercise.

About 4-5 years ago I used to play tons of racquetball, 3-4 days a week 1-2 hours a day, but that was when I used to work nights, it was great in a matter of about 6-9 months I lost about 35 pounds and was in better shape then when I graduated high school was down to 249 pounds. I'd like to get back to that, but it's just finding the time. I don't understand how you guys find the time.

I wake up at 6 AM to get ready for work usually out the door by 7:10, then I'm at work from 8-4/5 PM. Once I get home it's time to start making dinner because neither me or my wife like to eat a late dinner (we usually go to sleep by 10 PM). If I was to work out when I got home I wouldn't be done working out and showered till nearly 7:30, which would put me eating dinner around 8:30/9 PM at night.

Anyway that's just making excuses, but I'm looking for solutions, where do you guys find the time and still get a healthy amount of sleep.

I'd be happy at about 220-230 and think for me that would just about be just right because of my body build, I have lots of muscle in the lower half of my body.

[flere-imsaho]

This is probably a good thread in which to state that during the first game of the summer Ultimate (http://upa.org/) season, I sprained my ankle. Grrrr....

I made the catch, though.

[Galaxy]

Slightly off-topic,

I wanted to go back to the drink thing. As I noted, it's been about a week since I quite drinking soda pop (both regular and diet). I never drunk any coffee. I really only have one or two glasses/cups/cans of an alcoholic beverage when I go out, which maybe once a month.

I'm been drinking usually the flavored water (Propel or Vitamin water) and a tall glass of milk a day. How are the teas? Green tea? White Tea? Red tea? (Both in the traditional sense and the Snapple-type).

Do you think that you really have to diet, but still watching what you eat, as long as your willing to work it off through workouts?

[DanGarion]

Slightly off-topic,

I wanted to go back to the drink thing. As I noted, it's been about a week since I quite drinking soda pop (both regular and diet). I never drunk any coffee. I really only have one or two glasses/cups/cans of an alcoholic beverage when I go out, which maybe once a month.

I'm been drinking usually the flavored water (Propel or Vitamin water) and a tall glass of milk a day. How are the teas? Green tea? White Tea? Red tea? (Both in the traditional sense and the Snapple-type).

Do you think that you really have to diet, but still watching what you eat, as long as your willing to work it off through workouts?
I'm a big fan of tea without any sweetener, it makes the water more palatable IMO.

[sabotai]

I think this is why a lot of people feel they lose more weight by lifting than doing cardio. I believe that most people probably spend a lot of their lifting time in that 'fat burning' heart rate zone because you're pausing between reps and stuff.

Another part of it is that your body has to use calories in order to repair the muscles after lifting, and if you're taking in fewer calories than you use, it'll have to take it from fat.

[Fidatelo]

This is probably a good thread in which to state that during the first game of the summer Ultimate (http://upa.org/) season, I sprained my ankle. Grrrr....

I made the catch, though.

I'm taking this year off of Ultimate to watch my son while my wife plays, but our team has about 3 people already injured and they are like 4 games in. One guy went to the local sports clinic and they said that Ultimate basically keeps them in business.

I think Ultimate is the perfect sport for injuries: it has a very casual attitude, but the core of the sport is very strenuous. You get all these people playing that haven't done anything all winter, and then they are out running around non-stop on poorly maintained fields, performing cuts and jumping etc. It's just a recipe for knee and ankle injuries.

[RainMaker]

I'm been drinking usually the flavored water (Propel or Vitamin water) and a tall glass of milk a day. How are the teas? Green tea? White Tea? Red tea? (Both in the traditional sense and the Snapple-type).

I'd be careful with the Vitamin Waters. They are better than soda, but they still have a lot of sugar in them. A bottle has 125 calories and over 32 grams of sugar in it (a can of soda has 39). While it might seem like it's a lot healthier, it really isn't. They are closer to Kool-Aid than they are to water.

If you need fruit flavored drinks in your diet, I'd highly recommend a blender for smoothies. Not only do you get more vitamins from the fruit, but you also get some fiber out of it.

[flere-imsaho]

As much as I hate to agree with your assessment, I do (speaking to Fidatelo). I consider myself pretty lucky to "only" have suffered a sprained ankle and dislocated shoulder in the 6 years I've played so far. And I'm not a "weekend warrior". I think if I was, I'd have blown out a knee by now.

On the other hand, I've graduated to being a full-time handler, pretty much, so I run a lot less these days.

[Fidatelo]

As much as I hate to agree with your assessment, I do (speaking to Fidatelo). I consider myself pretty lucky to "only" have suffered a sprained ankle and dislocated shoulder in the 6 years I've played so far. And I'm not a "weekend warrior". I think if I was, I'd have blown out a knee by now.

On the other hand, I've graduated to being a full-time handler, pretty much, so I run a lot less these days.

Isn't handler sweet? Our team the last couple seasons has been pretty inexperienced, so I did a fair amount of handling last year. If I was covering another handler on defence I would often finish a game feeling I hadn't really had much of a workout. :)

[Samdari]

Funny thing is that my weight hasn't fluctuated by more than 5-6 pounds from my early/mid-20's to my early 40's and I'm apparently either the right weight or slightly underweight depending upon what standard you want to use (I checked here (http://www.halls.md/ideal-weight/body.htm), first Google for ideal body weight that came up).

Go figure.

The ideal weights are ridiculous. Being the same height since sophomore year in high school, my current "ideal weight" would have me weigh less than my last two years of high school. I was in incredible shape those years, but still overweight according to those charts, with 3-4% body fat.

[flere-imsaho]

Isn't handler sweet? Our team the last couple seasons has been pretty inexperienced, so I did a fair amount of handling last year. If I was covering another handler on defence I would often finish a game feeling I hadn't really had much of a workout. :)

I usually end up feeling that I had a nice workout, but nothing like when I was a deep or a mid. I think it's helped by the fact that I play a lot more points since I'm usually the best or 2nd best handler on my team so my team wants me to play most of the points (in the leagues I'm in, most of the teams have no more than 3 really good handlers).

I've transitioned from being excited that I caught the point to being excited that I threw the winning point. :D

Oh well, hopefully I'll be back in before the end of the season.

[JS19]

Do you think that you really have to diet, but still watching what you eat, as long as your willing to work it off through workouts?


From my own experience, it depends on what you are trying to do, as well as your body type. A few yrs ago when all I was working for was size/mass, I wasn't all too worried about diet. As you said, I would watch what I eat for the most part, but wasn't all too worried about caloric intake or how much I ate, my goal was actually to eat as much as possible. Now that was with a pretty heavy/intense lifting plan, as well as being a few yrs younger, so my body could handle it no problem. Now, after a few injuries that have limited what I can and can't do in the gym, I just stick with my natural body weight and go for strength and leanness. With what my goals are now, and noticing that my body doesn't burn off what it used to, I think that diet is extremely important.

[RainMaker]

Do you think that you really have to diet, but still watching what you eat, as long as your willing to work it off through workouts?

Ultimately weight is just calories in vs calories out. So if someone wants to eat a lot and burn it off in workouts, they can do so.

[Ryan S]

I am 6' and 158 pounds, and have been around this weight as long as I can remember. I don't think I have ever gone above 170.

[Galaxy]

I'd be careful with the Vitamin Waters. They are better than soda, but they still have a lot of sugar in them. A bottle has 125 calories and over 32 grams of sugar in it (a can of soda has 39). While it might seem like it's a lot healthier, it really isn't. They are closer to Kool-Aid than they are to water.

If you need fruit flavored drinks in your diet, I'd highly recommend a blender for smoothies. Not only do you get more vitamins from the fruit, but you also get some fiber out of it.

Good point. 10 calories, but 13g of sugar. I picked up a Diet Green Tea Snapple today. No calories, sugars, sodium, 20% Vitamin C. Not too bad.

[SFL Cat]

I've found if you mix up your routine each week, it keeps you much more interested. I've also incorporated a six weeks on, one week off. After a week off, I go back to the gymn refreshed and ready to feel the "burn" again.

I'm also trying to eat much better than I have. My goal is to get to my college weight of 190 by the end of the summer.

[GoldenEagle]

i can run a pretty good amount and ref soccer on a regular basis to help keep in shape. At one point, I was at 240 and now I am down to 215. I really would like to be around 180, but the problem is I eat like crap. I did cut out coffee and Mountain Dew out of my diet for the past two weeks, that has helped some. I just eat very poorly.

[Glengoyne]

I'm in a shape, but that probably isn't what you were looking for.

[MJ4H]

I dunno I've been looking for someone in the shape of a triangle?

[path12]

Still some work to be done before I hit "in shape" but I'm a lot closer.

I'll just steal this line. I will be doing my first walk/plod half marathon in about three and a half weeks. My goal is to finish before they close the course (4 hours).

[AgustusM]

up until I turned 30 I worked out 6-7 days a week, played basketball for hours, ate whatever I wanted and was always ripped with not an ounce of fat.

then I had kids, and the time to just go to the gym, play in 5 softball leagues, etc went away and I put on about 5 lbs a year.

2 years ago (at age 41) I found myself very overweight at 235, huge beer belly and a lot of problems with my back, ankles, knees, stomach, etc.

a serious back problem that landed me in the ER and essentially bed ridden for 2 months got my attention and I changed everything. I didn't really cut anything out of my diet, I just cut back from 5 portions to 1.5. I started walking and I walk for an hour every single day. I don't always want to, but I know if I don't my back will hurt. So I have a number of podcasts I like to listen to and I hit the road and listen to my podcast.

Since the ER day I have lost 50 lbs from 235 down to 185, which is less than I weighed in high school. I probably have a little more fat to lose, but don't really want to lose any more weight - hoping to lose about 10 pounds of fat, but replace it with muscle.

[Lorena]

I got the exercise thing down but my portion control and choice of food is just terrible. I also don't drink water as much as I should and hardly drink sodas but when I do, they're diet.

I have a lot of weight to lose so if I can get this portion control thing down, I'd be in business.

[Crapshoot]

Good thread. About a year or two ago, I was 6'0, and 260-265 or so; horrendously out of shape. There was this girl (that quasi served as motivation), and I just started hitting the gym we have at work for an hour a day, every day, and cut out the really crappy food; ie, I can't tell the difference fat-free and regular cheese, so why not use fat free? I think I stopped losing weight a year ago at around ~205 or so, but people around tell me I look very different; I think its converting fat to muscle at this point, instead of losing the lbs.

I didn't use a trainer or anything, but now I'm wondering if I should - really, I should be down to 180 or so, and that's hard.

[MJ4H]

I used to be one of the worst eaters ever, but since starting EA Sports Active, I feel like eating the wrong foods will ruin the work I've been putting into my exercise program, so I just don't do it. I also eat a lot less and have more energy. I'm not in shape yet, but I feel like I will be.

[rowech]

Good thread. About a year or two ago, I was 6'0, and 260-265 or so; horrendously out of shape. There was this girl (that quasi served as motivation), and I just started hitting the gym we have at work for an hour a day, every day, and cut out the really crappy food; ie, I can't tell the difference fat-free and regular cheese, so why not use fat free? I think I stopped losing weight a year ago at around ~205 or so, but people around tell me I look very different; I think its converting fat to muscle at this point, instead of losing the lbs.

I didn't use a trainer or anything, but now I'm wondering if I should - really, I should be down to 180 or so, and that's hard.

and the girl?

[flere-imsaho]

I've found if you mix up your routine each week, it keeps you much more interested. I've also incorporated a six weeks on, one week off. After a week off, I go back to the gymn refreshed and ready to feel the "burn" again.

On a similar note, I think that if I had the time to get involved in multiple sports for most nights a week I'd be in awesome shape. Unfortunately that's hard to do as a father of an infant.

The best shape I've ever been in, post-college, was a few years back when I was in 2 Ultimate leagues, and playing pickup on Sundays. I was playing Ultimate 4 days a week. It was awesome.

[Marc Vaughan]

I'm still somewhat overweight but not totally unfit as I play a fair bit of soccer.

I'm 6'6'' tall which helps make my huge girth less noticable ... at least thats what I tell myself ;)

(I agree with the no snacks no temptation rule - unfortunately I have 3 kids)

[jeheinz72]

To start off, I'm a big guy, always have been, broad shoulder, barrel chested, etc. I'm 5'11" and right not I'm just a bit over 300, which really sucks ass, up till recently I've usually hovered around 275-285 which still sucked ass. Although I'm a big guy, I'm probably in better shape then most guys my age. Hell my cholesterol is low, something in the low 100s. But then cholesterol isn't entirely dependent upon exercise.

About 4-5 years ago I used to play tons of racquetball, 3-4 days a week 1-2 hours a day, but that was when I used to work nights, it was great in a matter of about 6-9 months I lost about 35 pounds and was in better shape then when I graduated high school was down to 249 pounds. I'd like to get back to that, but it's just finding the time. I don't understand how you guys find the time.

I wake up at 6 AM to get ready for work usually out the door by 7:10, then I'm at work from 8-4/5 PM. Once I get home it's time to start making dinner because neither me or my wife like to eat a late dinner (we usually go to sleep by 10 PM). If I was to work out when I got home I wouldn't be done working out and showered till nearly 7:30, which would put me eating dinner around 8:30/9 PM at night.

Anyway that's just making excuses, but I'm looking for solutions, where do you guys find the time and still get a healthy amount of sleep.

I'd be happy at about 220-230 and think for me that would just about be just right because of my body build, I have lots of muscle in the lower half of my body.

Sounds like we're of somewhat similar build (I weigh more but I'm 6'5")

This is going to sound asinine, but give working out before work a try. Yes, you'll likely have to get up at 5 or earlier (I get up at 3:25, since I work 6 A - 3 P and then the kids have all my time once I'm home). Shower and get ready at the gym. Take breakfast with you to work (I eat oatmeal for instance)

It sounds completely backwards but I have probably twice the energy when I wake up at 3:25 and workout before work than I do if I sleep in until 5:15 and go straight to work. The energy carries me throughout the day and I'm in a better mood by lightyears. Plus when i get home I have no guilt that I should work out or anything since it's already done. I tend to eat better on days that I workout since it's silly to workout then ruin it with some donuts or a burger for lunch.

Try it for one week, ya never know, you might like it. Worst case all you're out is getting up early 5 times.

[terpkristin]

I've found if you mix up your routine each week, it keeps you much more interested. I've also incorporated a six weeks on, one week off. After a week off, I go back to the gymn refreshed and ready to feel the "burn" again.

I definitely echo this. With my ankle, hand, and shoulders severely limiting what I can do from a cardio perspective, I find that I spend most of my time on the elliptical at the gym. I make up my own workouts (varying resistance and "hill effect" over various time periods) or use one of the pre-programmed ones pretty often. In order to figure out which elliptical workout I'll do on a given day, I roll a die, with workouts assigned to each number.

Also, varying it up doesn't allow your body to get "used" to the one workout. This is good because your body can become more efficient when doing workouts when it gets "used" to them.

I talked to my trainer about this today a little bit (I lift with a trainer twice a week--with all of my joint issues, I really need his guidance to ensure I have good form and don't overextend my joints, which I'm prone to doing). His exact words were, "if you're trying to lose weight, you want your body to run like a Hummer, not like a Prius, so vary it up to keep it from becoming efficient."

His recommendation was to do high-heart rate interval-style training 2-4 times per week (where you do a short burst at high heart rate--up to 90%--and then a short burst at lower heart rate--recovery phase--and then rinse, repeat) and lower intensity cardio the other days. Also, don't do the high heart rate stuff two days in a row. Makes sense, it actually implied to me that I should take it easier on at least one more day a week than I usually do.

/tk

[JS19]

Just started a new program yesterday. I got it from the latest muscle and fitness magazine. From what it says, and I understand it's a magazine and they will pretty much tell you anything, but it's supposed to be "based on cutting-edge research that shows the best ways to burn fat in the gym, this setup will allow you to build muscle and strength while dropping bodyfat". Sounds too good to be true, but I'll give it a shot. Anyhoo, similar to what terpkristin said, it involves "high-heart rate interval style training", however, it's 6 days a week so there is really not as much rest as she recommends. Workouts involve supersets ( doing one set of an exercise, followed immediately by another, rest for a minute and repeat for the prescribed amount of sets). When you are done with all the exercises for the muscle group, for example yesterday I started with chest, you go straight to cardio using a 7 minute HIIT (high-intensity interval training) system, which for the first week is 1 minute at max pace (pretty much sprint), followed by 30 seconds of 20-30% (a semi-fast paced walk), then back to a minute of sprinting, so on and so forth for 7 minutes. Finish the cardio, then on to the next muscle group, finish that one, then back to the cardio, etc.

If you are just trying to get back to it, you may want to think about trying a variation of supersets, as they will keep the heart rate up pretty much throughout the entire workout, and although its only been a day, I think this HIIT cardio gig is pretty legit, it's not all that difficult, but gets the heart racing.

[DanGarion]

Sounds like we're of somewhat similar build (I weigh more but I'm 6'5")

This is going to sound asinine, but give working out before work a try. Yes, you'll likely have to get up at 5 or earlier (I get up at 3:25, since I work 6 A - 3 P and then the kids have all my time once I'm home). Shower and get ready at the gym. Take breakfast with you to work (I eat oatmeal for instance)

It sounds completely backwards but I have probably twice the energy when I wake up at 3:25 and workout before work than I do if I sleep in until 5:15 and go straight to work. The energy carries me throughout the day and I'm in a better mood by lightyears. Plus when i get home I have no guilt that I should work out or anything since it's already done. I tend to eat better on days that I workout since it's silly to workout then ruin it with some donuts or a burger for lunch.

Try it for one week, ya never know, you might like it. Worst case all you're out is getting up early 5 times.
Oh I know I'd like it, I loved it back when I'd play RB in the morning, I would feel great all day, but I'm a nightowl, I love trying to stay up late. :) I'm actually starting to go for walks at night now, 2.5 miles yesterday, couldn't today because we had company over, but I'll be back out tomorrow, going to push doing it and get my wife to go with me so we can push each other. We will see how it goes for now.

[Crapshoot]

and the girl?

Sadly, nothing doing . :( But hey, she motivated me to get off my ass, and I'm thankful for that bit.

[Crapshoot]

Dola,
I'll echo the work out during the day bit - I do my routine at noon everyday, and I really like it - makes the rest of the day feel a lot better. During the day, its a break; at the end of the day, it feels like a chore. Psychologically, it makes a huge difference IMO.

[bhlloy]

I play 4 soccer games a week, but am still pretty out of shape and get tired very easily. If this was FM, I would have a very low "natural fitness" rating I feel. I find I do slowly build up endurance, but if I miss a week or two I'm completely back to square one. I just spent 2 weeks in the UK drinking beer and eating kebabs and the last couple of games since I have been back have been absolute hell on earth (probably not surprisingly, but it does surprise me the level at which I lose endurance after only a couple of weeks off).

I can't get myself to the gym for love or money - if I wasn't playing soccer, I'd probably be at least 30 pounds heavier than I am. Right now I'm 5'7, around 145 on a good day.

I've been considering joining a local Rugby club just to change it up (and I really enjoy playing and haven't since high school), but I'm not sure a lot of nagging injuries and bruises is what I need right now and that would probably set me back a lot.

[B & B]

Update: Weighed in this morning at exactly 187. Thats the good news, being down 18lbs since ~Mothers Day. However, my triathalon hopes are all but dashed. The interval running Ive been doing has taken its toll on my knees and has caused some painful tendenitis thats never happened before. Hope that its just my body adjusting to the new regime because there wasnt a single occurance that caused this pain. Therefore, taking more days off in between runs/biking/tennis than anticipated.

[Arles]

I'm 6-3, normally about 215 and play in an amateur soccer league here in AZ year round. I also play hoops fairly regular.

I used to run about 2-3 times a week (plus soccer/BBall), but last Monday I started the P90X. I'm on my sixth day and it's been the best workout I've ever been a part of (including personal training). It's tough, requires between 1 hour and 1.5 hours a day, but if I can just stick loosely to the diet I expect it to have a big impact.

If you are in decent shape (ie, play sports, can do decent pushups/weight), I would take the fitness test at p90x.com and see if you qualify. If so, I would highly recommend it. The workouts go very fast and it's extremely challenging. I've just done the first 6 days, but I can't imagine not going through with it from this point on. Your body just "feels" different after a week and I expect that will continue as I move forward.

[Fritz]

how did I end up in a fitness thread?

[lighthousekeeper]

how did I end up in a fitness thread?

You egotistically searched for your name at the FOFC messagboard, then typed inthe following response: "how did I end up in a fitness thread?"