Fitness 2019 thread

[Threviel]

Any special diet or just eating less?

[Habbaku]

Weight has never been an issue for me (~145 pounds since high school), but I'd say I'm pretty out of shape in general. I intend to start with light weightlifting and regular hiking again as soon as the temperature improves.

Has anyone had any experience with a home rowing machine or something similar?

[celedhring]

Any special diet or just eating less?

I'm actually just reusing the same diet I used to shed 10 Kg 3 years ago. It worked a treat. It's mostly based around veggies/lowfat meats/fish. But yeah, there's a plan for what I'm going to eat every day of the week, calorie counting... the whole shebang.

[fromtia]

I had high hopes for 2018 to be a year of glowing, svelte vigor and manliness but I had a few injuries in June that arrested that. 2019 and I'm starting out from a fairly shabby position fitness wise, so just trundling around the local park twice a week right now, 3 miles at a positively stately 10 minute pace. Bike rides are an hour about once a week. I'll aim to steadily increase both pace and distance of these activities in the months ahead. I'll also add some resistance training, using bodyweight - I have one of those phone apps that coaches you (and it's a real fucker) and got some great results last year.

Diet wise I've been pretty decent for several years, high on the fruits and veg, not a lot of meat or processed food. Lots of room for improvement on the sugar front. I get my bloodwork done once a year and apparently look great on paper for a 48 year old.

I'm presently 185 pounds*. I'd like to be back to the 170 I was about 4 years ago, so that's a big goal for the year. I have stopped eating at night, which has already helped tremendously.

I exercise for mental health primarily, and vanity secondly. Third, for longevity. Everything I've read about ageing gracefully says "exercise, low weight, good diet, low stress, rest, water" and the more of all of those the better one is controlling ones controllables.

I have become a lot more interested in resistance training in recent years, which has huge benefits for mental health and ageing apparently. Haven't actually done much though.


* not sure what free market Murican pounds are in EU-Commie-Nazi socialist-serf weight measuremnts.

[Eddie Teach]

I've switched to diet sodas. Still quite a bit larger than you lot.

[alfred russel]

I don't know yet...my girlfriend signed up for her first half marathon and so I signed up with her...it is in a month. Every half marathon I've run has been between 1:50 and 1:55...I thought...it would be nice to break 1:50 finally...only then I did a super flat 12.5 mile training run and felt quite beat up and was at a 1:58 pace...it won't be easy to just get back under 1:55, and no way I'm breaking 1:50.

So for at least the next month I guess I'm focusing on getting under 1:55?

A bigger goal will come along.

[mongers]

I don't know yet...my girlfriend signed up for her first half marathon and so I signed up with her...it is in a month. Every half marathon I've run has been between 1:50 and 1:55...I thought...it would be nice to break 1:50 finally...only then I did a super flat 12.5 mile training run and felt quite beat up and was at a 1:58 pace...it won't be easy to just get back under 1:55, and no way I'm breaking 1:50.

So for at least the next month I guess I'm focusing on getting under 1:55?

A bigger goal will come along.

Well that's still quite impressive AR, for an first off go and you've yet to get back into it.

For you next big goal, what about one of those desert run marathons in North Africa? 

edit:
Seriously, what about taking up that canyon ravine running/climbing thing, seems to be an up and coming sport and you've got all the skills and the right mental attitude to plough on through.

[alfred russel]

I don't know yet...my girlfriend signed up for her first half marathon and so I signed up with her...it is in a month. Every half marathon I've run has been between 1:50 and 1:55...I thought...it would be nice to break 1:50 finally...only then I did a super flat 12.5 mile training run and felt quite beat up and was at a 1:58 pace...it won't be easy to just get back under 1:55, and no way I'm breaking 1:50.

So for at least the next month I guess I'm focusing on getting under 1:55?

A bigger goal will come along.

Well that's still quite impressive AR, for an first off go and you've yet to get back into it.

For you next big goal, what about one of those desert run marathons in North Africa? 

edit:
Seriously, what about taking up that canyon ravine running/climbing thing, seems to be an up and coming sport and you've got all the skills and the right mental attitude to plough on through.

I can't run a marathon...when I used to focus more on running, I tried hard to do one, with a maximum time of 4 hours (no interest in run/walking). I pushed my runs out to 16 miles, but it was excruciating - like I could barely walk the next day. I don't know what it is, but my body seems to break down if I run more than about 14 miles. The limitation isn't cardio--it is physical. I've talked to a couple doctors and there may be a hip issue...both recommended I go to a sports medicine place to figure it out but I haven't done so.

I really enjoy climbing and hiking more than running anyway. But someday I plan to figure out the marathon thing.

[crazy canuck]

Last week I hit a new PB for a static bench press lift of 415 lbs. and all my other weights have increased accordingly.  Had to stop doing deadlifts though.  I really need to strengthen some of my supporting muscles more and so still doing RDLs for that.  The sitting disease continues to be a real killer for me though on that front.  Also I need to find a trainer who knows the mechanics of doing the lift properly for a tall person.

Over all I have hit a plateau for weight loss at 255.  My waist line continues to shrink though and so I put that down to building more muscle mass.  But I would still like to get down to the 240s by May.  More intense cardio is in my future and when the weather warms up I can start biking to work again.

I have been eating a more protein rich plant based diet along with eggs and fish.  It has the benefit of being both delicious and healthy but I still eat meat ever once and a while.  No matter how good it is for me and the environment to avoid, I still like a good steak every few weeks.  And when I do have it, it tastes especially good. 

[Grey Fox]

Having a plant based diet sucks when you have to avoid Soy.

[celedhring]

Last week I hit a new PB for a static bench press lift of 415 lbs. and all my other weights have increased accordingly.  Had to stop doing deadlifts though.  I really need to strengthen some of my supporting muscles more and so still doing RDLs for that.  The sitting disease continues to be a real killer for me though on that front.  Also I need to find a trainer who knows the mechanics of doing the lift properly for a tall person.

The "sitting disease"?

When I do 400+ lb deadlifts I can barely walk the following two days. I probably should isolate them and not do other leg stuff that day, maybe move it to back day...

[Habbaku]

I believe he's talking about the prevalence of sitting down all day, 8+ hours, while in an office environment.

I am very lucky that my office has standing desks for every employee. I try to use it as much as possible.

[fromtia]

The "sitting disease"?

My doctor, a lovely fellow, regards what I do for a living - waiter- quite highly for this reason. Scampering about constantly, bending , reaching, crouching and so on. The current place, very fancy has three floors so I've added dashing up and down stairs in the last 18 months as well.

My Doctor is a former waiter though, so it could be bias.

[crazy canuck]

I believe he's talking about the prevalence of sitting down all day, 8+ hours, while in an office environment.

I am very lucky that my office has standing desks for every employee. I try to use it as much as possible.

Yep, exactly. 

[Iormlund]

I've never been this fat (~10 kg overweight). I've tried to switch to a diet with more veggies, but it invariably ends in significant intestinal pain. 

I've started going out on the bike and swimming, but as mentioned by others, I find it really boring. Can't realistically bike my way to work either, since it'd be a two hour trip each way.