getting in shape

12-ounce hammer curls and plenty of them. :D

Just kidding. As PrimitiveMan said, don't overcomplicate it. At one time I pegged out the scale at work-it went up to 250# and I turned it over. So I can't say exactly, but I was around 260#. I felt like crap all the time, got winded going up a flight of stairs, etc. My knees ached constantly; I mean sometimes it kept me awake at night. Then I'd feel even worse and more lazy the next day, etc.

I lost nearly 50 pounds over the course of a year just by walking more, working out occasionally, switching to light beer and less of it, cutting way back on junk/fast food and other stuff like that. More salads and veggies. I got back into camping and that helped a lot. I agree with Bushman that the fresh air helps. No magic pills or crazy starvation dieting. My weight has been fairly stable ever since; about four years now. I admit, I pudge up a bit around the holidays but I haven't been above 220#. I generally hover right around 200 and that's not too bad for a guy 6'4".
 
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Been there, too. I gained a lot of weight last year which combined with bad knees knocked me out of backpacking. My karate style focuses more on kata which helps me keep limber and coordinated but easier on the knees. Each morning I try working out (and loosing weight) by rotating from treadmill, to eliptical, to stairmaster at a gym. I like the gym better than working out at home for the company and encouragement.

It's tough, Sasha, but it can be done. If you can, you may look for some good help with your diet and your workout routine. It'll be worth the money. Good luck!
 
I agree with james_terrio, you can't gain weight by eating healthy, you have to be honest with yourself, I've lost 30 pounds and kept it off for 4 years just by eating healthy and not working out, so I don't see your point if you say you've gained 30 pounds by eating healthy, it doesn't happen......You can do it..........
 
I'm 36, don't smoke, do drink, gained my 30 lbs from beer. But! In November my work moved into a new building and it has a weight room. I've been doing some lifting every day, and I'm happy to say that the pain I used to get in my back is gone. Last week I bought a bike, and now I'm really hurting. But I can tell that my legs are responding. So now if I could only stop drinking beer. Naa. JK.
 
Fiddleback I hear you on the beer. I eat well but darnit I just love beer too much. Thats beent he hardest thing to cutback on since everywhere I go drinking is part of the occasion. I am lucky I am also 6'4 and hover right around 200-210. But when I was playing College Ball I was in emaculate(yes I used that word) shape between ball and boxing and martial arts I had the darn 6 pack(more like 8) now its a darn 4-6. But working out everyday and having tons of stuff to do will do that 4 you.
 
Best of luck to you!! I need to start hitting the gym again. Ive been gym celebate for a month...oops.
 
I believe you need to find something you love to do. Swimming sounds like it would be best for your particular joints and ligaments, etc., but not so good if you absolutely hate getting in the pool! Find something you really like to do. Personally, I hate the gym and know anything based on going to the gym would last exactly one day. I do, however, love running, and so I run. I'm currently training for a marathon. For strength I just do pushups, situps, dips, etc. (body weight based training instead of weights and machines).

I'd also set little goals to keep motivated. Or at least keep in mind the things you'll be able to do when you're fit again. When I don't feel like running, I try to remember that the fitness it brings allows me to get deeper into the backcountry with more energy instead of huffing and puffing a couple of miles.
 
J_Curd said:
I keep coming back to the basics...crunches, leg lifts, push-ups, heavy bag, and dumb bells.
Click to expand...

Agree 100%.

A good leather jump rope.
Medicine ball (15#)
kettle balls (good for everything listed above with some extra umph in the effort)
push ups
sit ups
PULL-UPS
paralel bar dips

I will abstain from listing any leg work-outs, talk to your PT about that.
 
hank dangle said:
I agree with james_terrio, you can't gain weight by eating healthy, you have to be honest with yourself, I've lost 30 pounds and kept it off for 4 years just by eating healthy and not working out, so I don't see your point if you say you've gained 30 pounds by eating healthy, it doesn't happen......You can do it..........
Click to expand...


The eating habits of an athlete turned injured, are not the same as someone that controls their weight by diet alone. You couldn't possibly understand the calories HIS BODY is telling him he NEEDS, from years of training. Your body has been trained for 4 years, to be relatively inactive and so when its time to eat your own body says it can wait a bit more because it doesn't anticipate excess calorie loss. His body is / was likely screaming Calorie intake ALERT, even though it doesn't need them because of the past heavy training.

the same goes for pregnant women, recent studies have concluded that the urge to eat is more primal in origin, than an actual call for calories and nutrients.

So any injured athlete really needs to pay atention to how much activity he does, and deal with some of the hunger pains if he doesn't want to deal with the loss of his hard work.
 
As for food i do eat lots and lots of vegtables little meat. When i cook my test for the food is does it have lots of color to it. My killer is that didnt move much just sit around. I do hike now and on a last group that i joined on a hike not one person could keep up with me. Compare to an avg person out there im in better shape still. From reading your post I think i would start with two things first. One i would check out the Gym that is about 15min walk away. Im going to pull my bike out and start riding it to work which should take me about 25-30min each way. I just hope i can stick it in the Gym, Tried it once before a few years back and it was boring. I just got to keep my mind working somehow same time. I cant ran whats so ever i got very bad flat feet. To give you an idea how it feels. If any of you seen the movie midnight express when the guy got beating on his feet with a stick. Thats exactly how i feel sometimes. When i seen the movie the first time i turned around to my friends and told them i know how the guy felt. O.k i better get going to work right now. You guys have great ideas. I need to see if i can jump rope too. Besides push up and sit up what other work out can i do at home. I do live in an apartment so cant hang punching bags or anything realy large.

Sasha
 
Fiddleback said:
I'm 36, don't smoke, do drink, gained my 30 lbs from beer. But! In November my work moved into a new building and it has a weight room. I've been doing some lifting every day, and I'm happy to say that the pain I used to get in my back is gone. Last week I bought a bike, and now I'm really hurting. But I can tell that my legs are responding. So now if I could only stop drinking beer. Naa. JK.
Click to expand...

What bike did you end up with?

I just scored me a near mint 1975 Motobecane Grand Touring this weekend. Gonna ditch out on my truck whenever possible and this will be my commuter type bike. Gonna make it a singlespeed. :cool:

Like I need another project.:p

Apologies to the OP for the drift...
 
sasha said:
As for food i do eat lots and lots of vegtables little meat. When i cook my test for the food is does it have lots of color to it. My killer is that didnt move much just sit around. I do hike now and on a last group that i joined on a hike not one person could keep up with me. Compare to an avg person out there im in better shape still. From reading your post I think i would start with two things first. One i would check out the Gym that is about 15min walk away. Im going to pull my bike out and start riding it to work which should take me about 25-30min each way. I just hope i can stick it in the Gym, Tried it once before a few years back and it was boring. I just got to keep my mind working somehow same time. I cant ran whats so ever i got very bad flat feet. To give you an idea how it feels. If any of you seen the movie midnight express when the guy got beating on his feet with a stick. Thats exactly how i feel sometimes. When i seen the movie the first time i turned around to my friends and told them i know how the guy felt. O.k i better get going to work right now. You guys have great ideas. I need to see if i can jump rope too. Besides push up and sit up what other work out can i do at home. I do live in an apartment so cant hang punching bags or anything realy large.

Sasha
Click to expand...

I hear ya, I am very flatfooted too. I wasnt till after the Army, but I feel for ya, it hurts. :grumpy:
 
you said it "URGE", you have to stop the urge........you can lift weights and workout till your blue in the face, and then when you go back and stuff yourself because you get the "URGE" you've just destroyed what you've gained, and with pregnant women, you dealing with two mouths to feed not one, so I still do see your point...just my thoughts...





ron_m80 said:
The eating habits of an athlete turned injured, are not the same as someone that controls their weight by diet alone. You couldn't possibly understand the calories HIS BODY is telling him he NEEDS, from years of training. Your body has been trained for 4 years, to be relatively inactive and so when its time to eat your own body says it can wait a bit more because it doesn't anticipate excess calorie loss. His body is / was likely screaming Calorie intake ALERT, even though it doesn't need them because of the past heavy training.

the same goes for pregnant women, recent studies have concluded that the urge to eat is more primal in origin, than an actual call for calories and nutrients.

So any injured athlete really needs to pay atention to how much activity he does, and deal with some of the hunger pains if he doesn't want to deal with the loss of his hard work.
Click to expand...
 
You may enjoy kayaking or canoeing. With proper paddling technique, you get upper body/torso workout (not just arms, but abs too). It is easy to keep your heart rate up, and you can mix your bushcraft interests with river trips. Practice paddle twice a week, and bike twice a week. Both bring you outside, and both benefit your body. River tripping can be as minimalist as you want to make it. I usually carry basic backpacking gear to remain as light as possible.
 
I gained a lot of weight from drinking beer. Its hard to quit when you brew your own.

as far as working out i got a trx fitness trainer. it comes with all sorts of excercies and you can use it anywhere. its pretty cool. i was sceptical at first because it looks so simple but it got my heart rate up fast. I got the trx force military one because i like the od green.

i think their website is www.fitnessanywhere.com
 
Another long time personal trainer here:
Lots of good points being made, first and foremost just doing exercise will not help, just being on a diet will not help. You need to combine things to get results.
Eat lower calorie foods, fibre, fruit and veges, no sweets or fats, no fried food, you can still eat nice stuff, just be careful. get a weight wathches cookbook - somegood ideas there.
Next exercise, low impact is the way to start, this can be a simple as a careful walk in the right sort of shoes 3 x a week to start with, or even doing the vacuuming 3 x a week, anything that will raise your hear rate and make you sweat for a good 30 mins at a time, 3 x a week.

If you can handle that then swimming (not kicking though), cycling (stationary exercycle), or similar will work, a cheap mild impact exercise is skipping, get a piece of rope and skip for 10 mins at a time, not fast or hard just slow and easy.

Good idea to ice and elevate the knees afterwards if they are sore.

Other options: walk to the shops not drive (if they are close), instead of vegging in front of TV, do some exercise, a walk or some skipping, avoid high calorie drinks as well lots of little steps will get you there - deciding you want to make a difference is the biggest goal!
 
Fat guy here - last one to give advice, but since you asked it, I'll lean over my arm chair and give you the advice only an internet warrior can provide :D

Okay - I'm sliding into 40, busy professional who is quite a bit heavier than he used to be in his prime. I have a black belt in TKD from when I was 18. I always find it remarkable how so many of us on W&SS share so many commonalities. After University the martial arts sort of went by the way side. In grad school I got into running and I lost a tonne of weight built up from 4 years of inactivity.

I kind of cycle around now between 200 and 210 lbs and when I was in TKD I kept to abotu 178 (always trying to keep it under 180) to avoid the heavy weight class in full contact bouts. Every once in a while I balloon up to 220 and then through diet will get myself back to 210 lbs. I need the combination of diet and excercise to get to 200 lbs and once in the past 8 years I managed to get to 195 lbs but that was through a really disciplined diet (i.e. no fun) and excercise. The 200 - 205 mark seems the best for me. When I get above 210 (which I'm hovering close to at the moment), I start having gastro-intestinal problems - heart burn and so forth.

Diet is important for me to keep weight under control. I don't really eat junk food, but I do like to snack on carbs - and those night time sandwhiches are a no no. Excercise is harder for me to get into. In warm whether I ride my bike to work (8 km/trip) which helps alot - it isn't a work out marathon but it burns the calories and makes me more fit. I have a weight bench that was better used when my son and I got into a work out routine together. Unfortuantely he is living away from us now.

For me excercise is really mostly about routine. You have to pencil it into your daily calandar and treat it as seriously as you would a medical appointment or a business meeting. Leaving your excercise time up the whim of whether you feel like isn't going to work (for myself). This is why riding my bike to work is effective. Heck I have to go to work. I'd rather not put gas $$ in my truck. I gotta go to work at this time of day, every day. It works. Find an activity that you can force yourself to do, apart from this is just healthy.

Hope that helps. I need to take my own advice :D
 
Hi guys, Well i just signed up for a Gym called LA fitness. Its about 15-20 min walk from home so that should give me a warm up just getting there. They got some nice eliptical machines that should be easy on my knees and feet. They also offer Yoga classes for the same price. Signed up for two months so i should see how it works for me. Pulled my bike out and started to clean it and lubricate all moving parts. I guess if you want it done then just get on it and do it. Also took the advice of trying the machines before spending any money to buy them. Also making a list of every advice you gave me to see what would work for me. You guys are the best and i mean it there is so much knowledge on here its amazing. Im working to assemble a set of work out that i can do at home with min EQ. Im still looking at Versaclimber as that seems to be the best maching to completly work your body.
All this should be the best investment for my future and outdoors. Im starting at 206 and 27.3% of fat. I shall see how i do in one month from now.

Sasha
 
Bicycling!

I bought one a few years ago, thinking I'd ride it to work once in a while. I had so much fun with it, I lost 21 pounds -- without meaning to! I now have a cyclocross bike and a road bike, and really enjoy riding.


Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
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