IT Fitness Kick Updates Summer 2010

RobertKaucher

At the start of 2010/end of 2009 we were talking about our fitness goals. I got nailed with swine flu in Feb and this has drastically slowed me down as I was hardly able to work out for 4 months. Just doing a few sets or 10 minutes of cardio sapped my energy completely. I'm back on track, though, and down to 215 with a body fat rating of 16.8%. Still looking to drop another 20 lbs. But really I am no longer concentrating on weight and looking only at my body composition. I'm working hard to get to 10% bf by the end of Sept.

How are the rest of you doing in accomplishing your goals? My illness set me back as I had hoped to already be at close to 10% right now.

nicklauscombs

though i've always been active and have consistently gone to the gym over the past four or five years, this past year has really been the year of change for me. i did a total diet/exercise overhaul and since the fall of last year have dropped around 30 pounds to get back down to my target weight of 160. accomplishing that goal has definitely helped me focus and realize other goals were/are just as easily attainable. really the main change for me has been eating a more sensible breakfast and lunch during the week (no snacking policy also enforced) and being a lot more relaxed as far as choices when it comes to dinner/the weekend. because i let up a little when it comes to dinner/the weekend i still get some of the dessert/junk food we all love albeit i pick more healthy alternatives now but i still get the satisfaction.

wayers22

About two years ago I decided to change my diet and pick up running. Within the first year I went from 245lbs to 170. To this day I am still running and I love it. I no longer watch what I eat, yet I am maintaining my weight.

arwes

I lost about 80 something pounds when I worked the night shift at my last job (easy to not **** when KFC is closed at 3 AM), and gained it all back when I came here. Had no self control for "goodie day", the last Friday of the month when everyone would bring a dish to work. Most of the time it was a Paula Deen recipe or something to that effect.

Tried getting back into shape and was having extreme difficulty getting weight off like I used to be able to do, so I went to a doctor for blood work. I was kind of worried it might be my thyroid, since my sister had problems with hers and sure enough it was a wee bit low. High metabolism, low thyroid. So I'm on Armour thyroid medicine now and I've dropped about 20 lbs.

I bought Tom Venuto's ebook Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle years ago but it was a bit of information overload. Picked up his Bodyfat Solution book at Books A Million for $8 on clearance, and it's helped me a good bit. It's more of a book that gets you in the right mindset. Basically it's about calorie intake vs calories burned. You use the Katch - McArdle formula to get your maintenance calorie level and reduce it by 20 - 30% and of course adjust it as needed. I've been doing his superset routine (awesome workout), and I'm pretty much subscribing to the 80/20 rule but it's more like 90/10 right now. As soon as I can find something decent to carry my Moto Droid around with (and BT headphones), I'm going to start up Couch to 5k for my cardio days. It'll look ridiculous but I'll probably just go with a fanny pack.

rogue2shadow

I'm doing pretty good. I can lift twice as much as I could 4 years ago haha. My main issue is cardio. If I can find a decent running path, I think I'll be fine; treadmills just don't work for me.

wayers22

rogue2shadow wrote: »

I'm doing pretty good. I can lift twice as much as I could 4 years ago haha. My main issue is cardio. If I can find a decent running path, I think I'll be fine; treadmills just don't work for me.

Check out mapmyrun.com, maybe you can find a good path in your area. Treadmill running is so boring...

nicklauscombs

wayers22 wrote: »

Check out mapmyrun.com, maybe you can find a good path in your area. Treadmill running is so boring...

i second this statement. i absolutely love mapmyrun.com / makes it so easy to calculate distances

RobertKaucher

wayers22 wrote: »

Check out mapmyrun.com, maybe you can find a good path in your area. Treadmill running is so boring...

nicklauscombs wrote: »

i second this statement. i absolutely love mapmyrun.com / makes it so easy to calculate distances

Thanks for the advice on that I was pretty easily able to find out the distance on my current run. Very nice.

vCole

I'm down 10lbs in 3 weeks so far.

RobertKaucher

FadeToBright wrote: »

I'm down 10lbs in 3 weeks so far.

Good work! What's your goal?

earweed

Unfortunately my knees have taken a beating over the years so running isn't an option for me anymore. I ride a bicycle (regular, no speeds or gears) or stationary bike for exercise (stationary bike is boring, just like treadmill) and as long as it's not too hot out it's ok. Playing sports games and Biggest Loser on the Wii are helping me maintain my current weight and stay fit, too.

nicklauscombs

my gym purchased a few of these (expresso exercise bike) its like playing a video game and working out. makes it so much easier to focus and get through each exercise session. it definitely was a lifesaver all winter while i was trapped at the gym.

vCole

RobertKaucher wrote: »

Good work! What's your goal?

I'd like to lose a total of 80-90lbs.

Bl8ckr0uter

FadeToBright wrote: »

I'd like to lose a total of 80-90lbs.

Me too.

I started running again and I have been lifting. So far I have lost about 7lbs.

nicklauscombs

knwminus wrote: »

I started running again and I have been lifting. So far I have lost about 7lbs.

FadeToBright wrote: »

I'm down 10lbs in 3 weeks so far.

excellent work both of you! getting started is the hardest part.

darkerosxx

I've lost about 20 pounds and run close to 80 miles so far. By September, I'll have done 250 miles on my current training plan. I've been doing really low miles just to keep my muscles loose until I fully start my training plan.

I'm running a half marathon on labor day weekend. I'm planning to run another half marathon in January. The one on labor day weekend will be my first and I'm excited, yet nervous at the same time.

NightShade03

I gained 10 lbs in the last month....does that count?

I'm attempting to lose some weight (about 20 lbs), but I can never seem to tip the scales in my favor lol

shednik

Man all the LSD runners on TE, keeping the skinny nerdy look alive

Robert are you still following Primal/Paleo? I finally went full blown Primal about a month and a half ago and lost another 10 lbs down to about 195 finally. I take a different approach to my fitness to go along with the diet, I really can't stand running long distance. I much prefer sprinting and lifting weights, so when I discovered crossfit it was perfect. I get to liftweights and get the cardio benefit at the same time.

phoeneous

RobertKaucher wrote: »

I'm back on track, though, and down to 215 with a body fat rating of 16.8%.

16.8% at that weight is very impressive. The average American bf% is in the 20's.

As cheesy as it sounds, P90x is a very good program. If you commit to it for three months, I guarantee you will get the results you need. When I say commit I mean the nutrition too

phoeneous

earweed wrote: »

Unfortunately my knees have taken a beating over the years so running isn't an option for me anymore. I ride a bicycle (regular, no speeds or gears)

Your knees will thank you if you get a geared bike. Going uphill on a singlespeed is brutal. I've been an avid mountain biker for the past 7 years and I went 1x8 single ring for a while. It's only fun when you're going downhill. Granny gear is your friend.

RobertKaucher

shednik wrote: »

Man all the LSD runners on TE, keeping the skinny nerdy look alive

Robert are you still following Primal/Paleo? I finally went full blown Primal about a month and a half ago and lost another 10 lbs down to about 195 finally. I take a different approach to my fitness to go along with the diet, I really can't stand running long distance. I much prefer sprinting and lifting weights, so when I discovered crossfit it was perfect. I get to liftweights and get the cardio benefit at the same time.

Yes, and I have gotten much stricter about it. No cheeses or grains of any type except a rare **** on a burger with a bun. Since I have started being very strict I have been shedding body fat while my weight has remained stable.

Edit:For example I have stayed between 215 and 212 but I need to punch a new hole in my belt.

Selfmade

I'm going to try 2 simple things to lose weight

stop drinking soda (easier said than done)
start walking and gradually build up to running, need to make it a daily habit. (More easily said than done!)

I need to get up off my lazy rear end, being 5'10, 260ish pounds, I don't even want to think what my BMI is, it's probably off the scales.

I could go all out and just get some kind of weightlifting gear, some shorts, t shirts, running shoes and the like, even a gym membership and some better nutrition books, but studies have shown that drastic overhauls like that rarely ever work and it ends up setting you back even more, because you're psychologically damaged from your failure.

I think I'm going to try this without any real expectations other than I know that cutting out my soda intake in favor of water will yield results, maybe not immediately, but over time it will. Walking, running, 15-30 mins a day at first, won't show any immediate results either, but done over time, I think I will lose weight.

I don't eat all that much, my weight gain is mostly related to inactivity (too much WoW and computer games and couch potato lifestyle).

I am aware of what my problems are, and I will make the attempt to fix them. The hardest part is definitely getting started.

RobertKaucher

phoeneous wrote: »

16.8% at that weight is very impressive. The average American bf% is in the 20's.

As cheesy as it sounds, P90x is a very good program. If you commit to it for three months, I guarantee you will get the results you need. When I say commit I mean the nutrition too

This is the next phase of my plan. I am going to start it once I get closer to 10%. I want to get close to 7% ultimately by 2011.

tomahawkeer

Kicking soda (regular or diet) will help you lose weight quick. Just the carbonation in it will make you retain water, plus the human body has absolutely no idea how to deal with artifical sweetners, and in the end, it winds up storing it as fat, just like sugar. Ive managed to lose, and keep off over 50lbs since the beginning of 2007, and while im still not where I need to be weight wise, it continues to come off slowly, with a healthy diet, and exercise.

Drinking lots of water will help. My normal daily water intake is around 5 liters. Some people will need more, and some less, it just depends on your size and activity.

RobertKaucher

tomahawkeer wrote: »

Kicking soda (regular or diet) will help you lose weight quick. Just the carbonation in it will make you retain water, plus the human body has absolutely no idea how to deal with artifical sweetners, and in the end, it winds up storing it as fat, just like sugar...

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/588187

This is a habit I need to kick. I drink 2 Coke Zeros on a daily basis. I just really need something with flavor... All my food is a tool to accomplish my goaals. I really don't look at it as something I need to enjoy, but my sodas! What will I do?

Selfmade

RobertKaucher wrote: »

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/588187

This is a habit I need to kick. I drink 2 Coke Zeros on a daily basis. I just really need something with flavor... All my food is a tool to accomplish my goaals. I really don't look at it as something I need to enjoy, but my sodas! What will I do?

Mr. Kaucher, you have to create an account to view that article . . . .

at least cut and paste it or something, thanks.

RobertKaucher

That's funny. I didn't have to...

Edit: Go to it from Google:
http://www.google.com/search?q=diet+soda+linked+to+diabetes&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1&rlz=1I7ADSA_en

Selfmade

I see it now, yeah, diet soda is nearly as bad as actual soda, that's not really a surprise. I think I might have success by bringing flavored water to work with me, I'm going to try to get that done, I think that would give me a greater chance for success.

I do like tea though, which is a problem, particularly sweet tea, I just don't have it very often.

I am going to be suffering withdrawal over the next few days, I'm going to just cold turkey it.

wayers22

I'm not sure about the diet soda theory. I drink about 5 to 6 a day and have a fairly low body fat. I could be wrong, but drinking diet sodas helped me lose weight.

redline5th

I'm about 6ft 180-190.

I'd like to be a little bit more fit. We'll see.

NightShade03

Selfmade wrote: »

I do like tea though, which is a problem, particularly sweet tea, I just don't have it very often.

Do you like unsweetened tea? I drink a ton of ice tea, but it's unsweetened which means there is nothing in it so I can drink as much of it as I want.