Exercise regiment?

goldenboy

goldenboy

Well-known member
Question for everybody. I am a slightly chubby guy who doesn't always eat right, doesn't exercise like I should, and needs to get into better shape. My question is what do you guys do to try and stay fit? I work full time at a desk, have kids and a family, and plenty of things pulling at my schedule. Where do you find margin or time in your schedule to get your heart rate up everyday?
 
Decades ago, I did a series of articles on weight-loss. I did substantial research, personal interviews, even interviewed a teen-age kid who was anorexic.

Forty years have passed and the basics are still true:

To lose weight, eat less.
To lose weight, eat the same amount and exercise more.
To lose weight, eat less AND exercise more.

One book emphasized changing behavior patterns, i.e., like having munchies on the table as you watch television after eating a full dinner. This is food you don't need, but are snacking as a habit. Another suggestion was (pre-Atkins) drink 4--6 glasses of water each day and restrict your white foods...like potatoes, bread, starches in general, and focus on meat protein as your nutrient (later shown to be hazardous to health). Another element was the whole idea of "snacking," and yet one more was to eat smaller portions, and more of them each day...like 6 small meals.


Best results for me were taking lunch as an exercise time every day and walk (or jog), cool off, and have an apple and some fluids. I did stretches and an exercise called "The Sun Salute," which I think is a yoga routine.

Now that I'm older, my metabolism has betrayed me and no longer burns up calories as soon as I swallow. :)

Bottom line: Like the Stoics, use moderation in all things: food, drink, exercise, and varieties of food. Stay away from fast food, which is generally concocted to create an addiction to fats and sugars.

Do moderate exercise regularly, making it a part of your day--every day. Don't over-do it exercise, you will gradually be able to do more, but hurting yourself in an effort to lose rapidly will decrease your willingness to exercise at all.

Don't expect rapid results. I am of the (non-expert) opinion that our bodies evolved to WANT to store fat and will create a sense of hunger even if you are already over-weight. Don't go to a scale every day. If you follow a regimen, the weight will fade, your muscles will develop tone, and you will actually think more clearly and have a better outlook on life.

Don't celebrate special occasions with rich foods and high calorie drinks; that is, don't make food a REWARD. Do something as a reward or celebration.

And, like training a bird dog, be consistent in your routine.


Best wishes. :thumbsup:
 
I agree with Kismet. Here is my story, 55 and 225 I started walking after work, then one day ran from one sign to the next. That lead to running and losing 40 lbs . I really watched what I ate.. Over 5 years I ran over 1000 miles each year ,logging everything in a g book. That's the good news now I started to not watch eating habits and while running 25 miles a week I gained back 15 lbs. Now I am passing 65 Back to 225 and I know what to do . Just start use a log book for eating and exersise. Eating right we will lose weight , exersise makes us feel great and younger.
 
First off you must make a commitment to a lifestyle change and stick to it. At first it will take some will power, but eventually if you stick to it, things will normalize.

From a weight loss perspective:

I was told that i was borderline type2 diabetic and had to change the way i approached food. mainly for me that consisted of reducing carbohydrate intake. i could still have carbs in my diet, i just needed to be conscious of how many along with portion control. i also increased my quality protein intake and fiber. All this kept my my glucose in check, but it also had one other benefit, the weight started to come off and i mean it just started to melt off. Believe it or not excessive carb intake will pack on weight IMO quicker than fat. There's lots of ways to reduce carbs without sacrificing a lot of the foods we like. instead of pan pizza, get thin crust. Thin sliced bread vs regular sliced bread, nuts instead of chips etc.. limit the number of carb choices for each meal. You get the picture.

Initially when i started i lost 1-2 pounds a week and it didn't even seem like i was trying. Now, down 26 pounds from where i started 2 years ago i have continued to keep the weight off. Sure its ok to splurge once in awhile, but it becomes the exception not the rule.

Regular exercise definitely wont hurt either. Because i have had two knee replacements, walking and swimming has been my activity of choice.
 
Last edited:
Strength training can also be a component of weight loss, as adding a few pounds of muscle will boost your metabolism. We typically begin losing a pound or so of muscle each year, after age 30. Twenty years of that will obviously result in a significantly slower metabolism. At 54, I still get to the gym every weekday for a 45-minute workout, followed by 30 minutes of cardio. I wish I was as disciplined with my diet, but I try to restrict white foods, and limit my snacks. (That was tough during the holidays?.) I ride my road and mountain bikes as often as I can during the months the weather permits me to. (Mountain biking is also a great way to keep dogs conditioned.)

Oddly enough, watching some of my old college buddies during pheasant hunts has been a big motivator for me. Some are in such poor condition that they have to block fields when we hunt, as they struggle to walk the half-mile across a quarter of ground. They can't enjoy hunting much as they're worn out after the first field. I've still got a lot of hunting to do, and I refuse to miss out on any of it by being too far out of shape. I won't be getting any modeling offers, but I can still put in a full day following my dogs after grassland sharptails or walking through sloughs is search of roosters.

My parents are both in their eighties, and their lifetime exercise habits have contributed greatly to their quality of life. Both continue to work out each day, and are still capable of knocking off fifty-mile bike rides. Neither of them are on any medications. The difference in what they are still able to enjoy, compared to their younger siblings who've not exercised, also makes it plain to me that finding an hour a day to exercise is definitely worth the effort.
 
On Aug. 1, 2014 I went to work at 308 (I'm 6'1), today I'm at 262. No diet, and minimal exercise (I walk my GSP's a mile in the morning before getting ready for work). However, I have modified my eating habits. I haven't change what I eat but the amount and I drink a TON of water. I do eat a few more salads around lunch. I believe my appetite has been altered as I can stop when I feel full (no more licking the plate clean). The water in my opinion is the key. I drink a minimum of 94 oz a day and up to a gallon a day. Make sure you take a multi-vitamin as the water will flush the potassium out and you'll have fun at night with cramps in areas you didn't know existed. My target was 260 but I have reset it to 250. Good luck and stick with it...you will be amazed at how much better you feel.
JMc
 
JMc said:
On Aug. 1, 2014 I went to work at 308 (I'm 6'1), today I'm at 262. No diet, and minimal exercise (I walk my GSP's a mile in the morning before getting ready for work). However, I have modified my eating habits. I haven't change what I eat but the amount and I drink a TON of water. I do eat a few more salads around lunch. I believe my appetite has been altered as I can stop when I feel full (no more licking the plate clean). The water in my opinion is the key. I drink a minimum of 94 oz a day and up to a gallon a day. Make sure you take a multi-vitamin as the water will flush the potassium out and you'll have fun at night with cramps in areas you didn't know existed. My target was 260 but I have reset it to 250. Good luck and stick with it...you will be amazed at how much better you feel.
JMc
Click to expand...

Good to hear. It really is a lifestyle change and once you get accustomed to it it doesn't take a lot of work to stay with it.
 
My dad does resistance bands and biking or elliptical. My mom walks 3 miles a day, most days outside unless lightning or really windy. I need to get better. Had dropped about 50 lbs to 295 but gaining back after the wedding. I quit working out as consistently. I have found some new workout routines online for body weight that actually appeal to me, which is rare. I was plateauing at 295 because of my weight lifting starting to bulk back up, so going to try the body weight/cardio stuff and see if I can maintain the strength/shape and lose more weight. I am 6'6", so just a little over obese on the BMI scale, which the nurse measuring me laughed and said I was the most in shape obese person according to my blood work and breathing tests.
 
Exercise is so very important, especially if you a upland hunter and need to cover ground to find birds.
Trouble is with losing weight by exercise such as walking, you have have to walk a fast 3 miles to burn off one jelly doughnut. or 30 minutes of aerobic exercise. :eek:
for an average person, it varies some.

Talk about "fuel efficient" we humans are that. :confused:

So eat better and forget the snacks and take time to do LOTS of walking.

Don't ask me how much exercise to burn off a beer, I don't want to know. :cheers:
 
90% of weight loss is diet and changing the way you eat. Exercise is important, but unless you incorporate a healthy diet to go along with it, you will not achieve anywhere near the same success.
 
For me, what has helped is building a moderate amount of muscle mass (boost metabolism and burn calories while doing it) and finding forms of exercise that I LOVE doing. I tried running - lost a ton of weight, hated every step, stopped running, gained the weight back. But canoeing, mountain biking, hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and hunting I LOVE, and so I shifted my work schedule ( understanding thwt this is not possible for everyone) from 10-6, and I spend every morning from 7-9 doing one of those things. Nope, I don't have a 6pack, but I am healthy and happy,albeit still fairly well "insulated"... I also avoid small engines - lol! No ATVs, outboard motors etc... I get around under my own steam exclusively. I sure burn more calories hiking 5miles to my fishing spot that I would on an ATV, and my dog stays well conditioned year round as a result too.
Diet wise, the simplest thing I have done to ratchet my weight down whe it creeps up is to swap carbs with veggies in my meals. Works for me, and is pretty simple and not too drastic. But I have a hard time sticking with it. I'm likes me potatoes, so I does! LOL
Dave
 
Regular half-hour walks, back and hamstring stretching, and weight lifting: squats, trap lifts, deltoids, arm curls, flies, bench press, bench overhead pullbacks, ab crunches, butt squeezes, knee lifts, and toe curls against the floor and shins (to prevent plantar fasciitis), all done at home and with dumbbells.
 
Last edited:
I am about five feet seven inches tall. On May 1, 2013, I weighed 218, I started what is popularly known as the Fast Diet. Basically eating only 600 calories two days a week, my "fasting" days were Tuesday and Thursday. On September 7, 2013 I weighed 178. On Tuesday/Thursday I would have a small/medium banana, apple or an orange, for breakfast and then drink water during the day, I would have 5 oz of grilled chicken, salmon or tuna with a big salad for my evening meal. Weight loss was approximately two pounds per week. Full disclosure, I almost waited too long to lose the weight as I had a heart attack on September 11, 2013. Luckily losing forty pounds made my recovery much easier, but I realized that modifying the diet alone was not enough for me, I have since focused more on exercise and eating better, more meat and vegetables, less processed food, less sweets. Keeping a balance between protein, fats and carbs. I work out every morning before I go to work. Strength training (MWF)and cardio (TTh) during the week and on the weekends, golf during the summer and bird hunting in season. No magic pill, no expensive program, just simple exercise and diet for me.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top