Kind of jazzed about my progress.

About four months ago, I started a home project that required cutting, lifting, and assembling 4x4 sections of somewhat thick (read heavy) plywood. The kind of thing I used to do with no issues (15 years ago). I was a wreak for days. Seriously, days. Tequila only helped to forget the agony for a time (a nice time), otherwise, I was miserable.

I had to fix this… also being thicker in the waist than I want to be.

A relatively new full-featured gym opened up near us with a reasonable pricing plan, I joined four months ago.

I'm sticking mostly with weight training and cardio, trying to work up to cardio-resistance: rapid set weight training. At first, I was pitiful. Leg press, bench, rows, etc. all left me sore for days. But I kept at it, going mostly three times a week, lately.


Today was the first time I started to feel like my old self, mostly. Still not going heavy on squats due to a long-standing back issue, but stormed through three sets each of: heavy leg press, heavy calf raises, body-weight calf raises, leg extensions, leg curls, body-weight lunges, wood-choppers, and weighted curls in 30 minutes. I felt like I was this ----||---- close to puking, but I didn't. And tonight, sore, but not hobbling.


The waist is still thicker than I'd like, but that will start to come off easier now that I'm in better shape.


Just wanted to share. It made my day. If this lard of a swivel-chair pilot can do it, anyone can.




and… never put off leg-day.

originally posted by: SkepticOverlord
About four months ago, I started a home project that required cutting, lifting, and assembling 4x4 sections of somewhat thick (read heavy) plywood. The kind of thing I used to do with no issues (15 years ago). I was a wreak for days. Seriously, days. Tequila only helped to forget the agony for a time (a nice time), otherwise, I was miserable.

I had to fix this… also being thicker in the waist than I want to be.

A relatively new full-featured gym opened up near us with a reasonable pricing plan, I joined four months ago.

I'm sticking mostly with weight training and cardio, trying to work up to cardio-resistance: rapid set weight training. At first, I was pitiful. Leg press, bench, rows, etc. all left me sore for days. But I kept at it, going mostly three times a week, lately.


Today was the first time I started to feel like my old self, mostly. Still not going heavy on squats due to a long-standing back issue, but stormed through three sets each of: heavy leg press, heavy calf raises, body-weight calf raises, leg extensions, leg curls, body-weight lunges, wood-choppers, and weighted curls in 30 minutes. I felt like I was this ----||---- close to puking, but I didn't. And tonight, sore, but not hobbling.


The waist is still thicker than I'd like, but that will start to come off easier now that I'm in better shape.


Just wanted to share. It made my day. If this lard of a swivel-chair pilot can do it, anyone can.

and… never put off leg-day.

''

NIce! There you go man. Sounds like a good program.

During grad school I got pretty out of shape. Drank too much. Ate like junk. Sometimes I would just move too fast or stand up too fast and see stars. Had a little belly going. Tired all of the time. Irritable.

Ever since graduating I've been trying to work out 3-4 times a week minimum. Do weights 3 times a week, combined with cardio at the end. Been gradually working up my cardio level and now can jog 30-40 minutes straight. The last month I finally got back into yoga again, which by the way is an amazing cross training exercise for those doing cardio and weights. Not only that it has a meditative element. It hits the flexibility and balance portions of fitness, while also toning. Ever tried it?

I've also been eating a lot better. More vegetables, salad, fruit, lean meats, less processed foods, whole grains, etc. Feel much better than I did 6 months ago and almost all of those bad symptoms are reversing.

I've found as I get older, even though only 33, that working out regularly makes me feel so much better in all ways. But it is hard to keep up.

originally posted by: Quetzalcoatl14
Drank too much. Ate like junk.

I eat well -- we cook everything at home, and rarely get takeout.

But I do drink… most meals include martinis, the others wine.

And then there's the after-dinner aperitif.

And the night-cap… and…

Ever tried it?

I'm too impatient for yoga. But it's great that it's working for you.

I've also been eating a lot better. More vegetables, salad, fruit, lean meats, less processed foods, whole grains, etc. Feel much better than I did 6 months ago and almost all of those bad symptoms are reversing.

Excellent, good for you.

Costco is your friend for shopping to eat right. I'm amazed at the fresh fish they get, and the ridiculous (low) prices.

originally posted by: SkepticOverlord

originally posted by: Quetzalcoatl14
Drank too much. Ate like junk.

I eat well -- we cook everything at home, and rarely get takeout.

But I do drink… most meals include martinis, the others wine.

And then there's the after-dinner aperitif.

And the night-cap… and…

Ever tried it?

I'm too impatient for yoga.

But it's great that it's working for you.

I've also been eating a lot better. More vegetables, salad, fruit, lean meats, less processed foods, whole grains, etc. Feel much better than I did 6 months ago and almost all of those bad symptoms are reversing.

Excellent, good for you.

Costco is your friend for shopping to eat right. I'm amazed at the fresh fish they get, and the ridiculous (low) prices.

Nothing wrong with some drinks. I still drink, just trying to moderate a bit more.

Yoga can take a lot of patience, but there are also forms and styles that are much quicker and more athletic, which are less meditative and more of a hardcore workout. For example, Power Yoga.

I need to get a Costco membership. You are right that they have great deals, and a surprisingly good meat department. However, the problem with Costco is that getting things in bulk is great for dry or long-shelf life goods. But for some fresh stuff in bulk there is no way I can eat it all before it goes bad.

Good going. It is not easy to get back in shape after you let yourself go too far.
A proper diet and plenty of exercise is the key. No rocket science there.
Be careful to avoid injuring joints, especially the spine.
I'm in my 40's and my physical condition is as good as ever.

a reply to: SkepticOverlord

Good job, keep it up. Perseverance =good results.

a reply to: SkepticOverlord

You should try the Canadian workout regimen:




I'm in the best shape of my life !

(hey... round is a shape)

Great work. It amazes me that most of us, myself included, know full well how amazing one feels after doing some good exercise. Yet we still resort to short term gains of alcohol to make us feel good. Which does indeed make us happpy for a couple of hours but then we feel dreadful.

Exercise and diet is the key to feeling YIPPEE!!!

I hope I can follow in your footsteps soon, Christmas this year is literally killing me.

Lost a cool 65lbs doing keto once, i've since gained 30 back (took 2 years almost), gunna hop on the bandwagon again here soon, start rocking my dads bowflex again

a reply to: SkepticOverlord

This is fantastic! I love your story.

I am doing the green juice diet and am losing weight like mad without any effort. Due to arthritis in my right hip (no cartilage) and bad knees I can only walk the dog for any exercise but I will take what I can get. I have replaced one meal a day with the green juice and sometimes two. I am not fanatical. Took me a while to get used to the taste and to the right veggie combo. I love it. I feel more limber and mentally alert and have so much energy.

It all starts with one change. I only shop at Costco and buy the essentials and make homemade meals. And as a result the grocery bill has gone down in a HUGE way.

Have also cut out all wheat (wheat belly book convinced me of this, and no longer have upset stomach for months on end). This is where the weight started to simply slide off without any effort after a lifetime of endless attempts and doctors telling me I wasn't trying hard enough.

Simple and easy changes. I say all this as a note of hope for those out there who feel like they just can't try anymore which is where I was at.

originally posted by: ccseagull
a reply to: SkepticOverlord

Have also cut out all wheat (wheat belly book convinced me of this, and no longer have upset stomach for months on end). This is where the weight started to simply slide off without any effort after a lifetime of endless attempts and doctors telling me I wasn't trying hard enough.

Wheat and grains are the biggest culprit of obesity, that and sugar. Not eating wheat means your insulin levels have dropped, being the enzyme that controls weight storage, less insulin means all the build up of fat in your cells is being released since its not getting that insane spike telling it to store all the fat.

a reply to: AzureSky

Agreed 110%. Sad thing is until you are informed you follow the food guide (Canadian in this case) and you think you're doing the right thing. I fed my child this way for years thinking it was all good and I was being a good parent.

The funny thing is all those years I ate bread thinking it was a simple food that was easy on my stomach and all those good grains would somehow sustain and nourish me and as much as nothing stayed in my body I was starving and always hungry but wouldn't you know it, even as much as went in my body and came right back out (sorry TMI) I STILL wasn't losing weight. My doctor just shrugged his shoulders and sent me on my way. I tried every diet known to mankind out of desperation and nothing worked. Eliminating bread??? Too easy and the results are unbelievable. My joints don't ache anymore either.

We have been fooled into thinking we eat healthy by what "they" tell us to eat. We have to become responsible for what we put into our bodies. We have to research what we think is food.

a reply to: ccseagull

Canadian here too, the food guide is a byproduct of the wheat lobby, thats why you're supposed to eat the most of it. I tried almost every diet too myself, it almost didn't matter. I worked out, exercised and dieted and just gave up.

Went on keto (no grains, sugar, starch pretty much), lost 20lbs my first month, 15 the second month, then went off, and still lost weight over the course of the next 8 months (65 total) before i moved back in with my folks and got big again, damn them and their fully stocked cupboards. I'm going to do it again here soon, it worked really really well for me, but it may not for everyone.

I'm okay eating meat and vege, grats on the gains Skeptic, losing weight is one of the toughest things someone can do. Same with quitting smoking (and staying off) and drug abuse.

a reply to: AzureSky

Ha, ha - those parents will do it to you every time. I was taught you eat bread WITH butter meaning the butter was sliced thicker than the bread. Silly farmer background stock.

Canadian Wheat Board - yeah, I learned that just recently, insane.

Actually I lied, I didn't try the keto diet. I think it was only because when I was at my wit's end and went to my doctor for the third and last time, he had someone covering for him while he was away and this woman looked at me and said, "I see people like you in here all the time. You need to learn to eat less and exercise more." I have never had my heart ripped out so savagely before or since. Oh and I had lost my thyroid as well so always thought that might have something to do with it.

I learned a lot about low glycemic eating which I adhere to this day. Everyone is different so what might work for some might not work for the other but if something isn't working there has to be a reason why. Another thing I learned is to avoid plastics. I no longer use plastic food containers in the house/or drink out of plastic. The hormones are endrocine disruptors and mimic estrogen. If it was plastic I had it - what a convenience. Soy is another estrogen mimicker which was kind of funny the time I was doing a weight loss program shake of pure soy, sigh.

Awesome for you AzureSky and Sceptic, and all others who are trying. I now live day to day and not like the whole future is happening today if that makes any sense. Ie: exercise today and if I can only do half an hour well it's better than nothing and I"m not going to slap myself over not trying harder. At least I moved. And it does get easier and one feels so good.

I never worried about wheat. I think if you're eating a good balance of quality proteins and fruit/veggies, it's not a big deal. Of course, I almost always eat whole wheat -- never bleached/white bread.

Back -- way way back -- in the day when I was cycling competitively, cargo-loading via pasta and bread the night before a race was crucial to performance the next morning. Even then, never felt any side effects.


Now… I still do smoke a bit and drink more than some. I can't pass on the cigs just yet -- I make my own with organic tobacco for the nicotine hit to my gray cells. And giving up martinis, tequila, and whisky -- not gonna happen, so don't go there.

Yay you, SO!

You've got a jump start on everyone for the New Year.

a reply to: SkepticOverlord

Congrats!

I'm happy for you. It's always exciting when you start getting back in shape. You should be jazzed! Sounds like great progress! Everything feels better (except for being sore but that feels kinda good too). Have you noticed when you start making positive changes it seems to have a snowball effect and you start making more and more?

I have some mild back issues and just decided to start trying yoga. It seems... girly but also like a pretty good idea. Ever tried it? Ahh, apparently so, I need to remember to read more that the OP. I'm doing it the lazy way with YouTube videos, but it's surprisingly calming and I'm feeling more limber.

I was a wreak for days.

You're supposed to shower, don't forget the deodorant.

I realized I needed to start getting into shape again after getting sore just cleaning out the spare bedroom. Granted it's 3 levels of stairs to move things, but I'm too young for that to be bugging me at all.

a reply to: Domo1

My back is all messed up also… old injury. What's working really well for my back is twisting exercises with the pulley/weights… then working up to light dead lifts.

Stairs. Yeah… stairs.

It's such a great high getting back into shape. Good work

The injury cycle is a nightmare. I have a bunged up knee, sciatica and hip and back issue from skiing. (well drinking at the ski slope lodge) so I have to live off protein and salads to keep weight healthy, and the only exercise i can do well that relieves the back pain is swimming, which In Sydney I ocean swam every morning, but in the states its lap pools and that i avoid i have to admit.

Keep that high going, 4 times a week is optimal for maintenance, and you have inspired me to get back to the laps (until I wake up tomorrow and think Geeee Bill is doing great then have a criossant and coffee instead)

a reply to: SkepticOverlord

Hmm. I'll have to try that. There were a lot of stretches I learned way back in the day when I did martial arts that I somehow remember and seem to help a great deal when I tweak my lower back.

Stairs are freaking jackasses. They mean well, but man carrying something heavy up and down does not make my back happy.

I didn't know you cycled. I just bought a road bike (first one and essentially first I've ridden) and could use some pointers. My wrists get sore insanely fast. It's a Specialized and is an entry level. It is currently a rather pricey (for someone that doesn't know anything about bikes) paperweight. My wrists were aching after 40 minutes and the shifting mechanisms seem to both be very out of whack. Hills are a lot harder than I remember. Last time I rode a bike it was through the San Juans and up through Canada with two weeks worth of supplies strapped on. That was a LONG time ago on a Gary Fisher mountain bike.

I hope you have fun with it. Are you married or with someone serious? They on board? I find that gentle nagging works well on me.

Congrats, and keep us posted please!