The Fancy Bastard Forum

Just out of curiosity, why did you need to start a new thread? Was the old one not fitnessy enough or did it have to much fitness?

Posted By: FerrosJust out of curiosity, why did you need to start a new thread? Was the old one not fitnessy enough or did it have to much fitness?Never go with a hippie to a second location.

''Per the esteemed Bill's request...''

It was all fitness related and the conversation naturally flowed to other general fitnessy stuff. Seems nitpicky to me is all.

Nah, I see his point. Carbs and such aren't really music related. Not such a hassle. Now we have a general fitness thread, so other people can ask questions.

@Ferros: The other thread was specifically created to discuss workout music, not fitness in general.

i'll add to the general fitness...

as i look back i really abused my body in my 20's. what i mean is that i just ate so much crap and i am paying for it now. it turns out that with some smart eating you can add working out and get results or at the very least a better set up for later on.

if you want to do running or just cardio then you want to consider that running by itself won't cut it. if you just run a standard pace then your body will start to adapt and you don't burn fat. you want to mix in a quick sprint during your run for just a 1/10 of a mile or a fast quick walk within your run. it's like putting your body into shock so it has to work and when it works it burns.

i learned a lot of this stuff from my doctor who lost lots of weight himself the same way. now not every person's body works the same but these methods are good practice and generally work

Yeah I have a similar story to Eli's. I had a MASSIVE metabolism going into college (you don't get to be 6'7" without a few milkshakes) and I flatly ignored any signs that it was dropping out from beneath me. I had some terrible eating habits and was completely oblivious to any biofeedback; I'd grab something - anything - if I was hungry, but didn't recognize when I was satisfied (or even full). I couldn't bear the thought of eating any sort of "light" or "diet" foods. Wasn't a great place to be, and it took me a while before I even recognized how overweight I was.

I'll also further Eli's comment about exercise. Trying to lose weight by exercise alone just isn't practical. Assuming that you get no exercise now, you'd have to start running 3 miles in 30 minutes EVERY DAY just to lose 1 pound per week. AND you'd have to resist the temptation to eat more afterwards. That's not to say you shouldn't exercise - the health benefits are undeniable, and your mental function improves as a result too. But use the right tool for the right job: exercise is for improving your overall health and function, dietary changes are for losing weight. Doing both together is a killer combination, but it's also hard to keep up with both.

When I first lost weight my schedule was wildly unpredictable and I knew I couldn't count on a regular exercise regiment. Instead I just tried to make little changes like taking stairs instead of elevators whenever possible and walking or cycling instead of taking the car or bus. I relied on dietary changes alone to lose weight and did just fine. Obviously having the exercise is better, but I'm here to say that if that's just not in the cards for you then that's OK. It can still be done.

Like Eli said, you have to change it up. I run laps around where I live basically and I planned it so I'm running uphill for about 60% of the run, it's a harder workout but it means you adjust your pace more often. Handy tip also, don't start a long workout with the finish in mind, if you stay relaxed and don't count the time you have left you'll find it much easier and more fun to do...

But it's just so hard....

Posted By: John DarcBut it's just so hard....Move over, bananas! I've got a new source of potassium!

Say it with me everyone......"THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID"

I'm quite young, but I started hitting the gym a few weeks ago. It's fun but HARD! A friend and/or ipod is reccommended.

HE is great at the gym,

Posted By: Sean

Posted By: John DarcBut it's just so hard....Move over, bananas! I've got a new source of potassium!

Say it with me everyone......"THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID"I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy

You said a thing about dicks...

oh yeah i would totally try to get a friend or someone to go with me. it helps push yourself and them as well. i will also state how important it is to have some kind of DVR at home as this is key to a good work out

I just started doing a fast 30 - 40 min walk. I live reasonably close to the beach so I walk along the foreshore and include 100 meters on loose sand at the same pace to push myself. Yes, iPods really do help, as do correct shoes.

i just started working out by training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. i learned 2 things: i'm really out of shape, and i'm not as flexible as i used to be, when i was training in Tae Kwon Do

I wanna do Jeet Kune Do, just cause.

But I have a thing about barefeetness. It just don't seem clean for a bunch of people to be all sweaty and barefoot in a room together, kicking at each other.

hoping to try Krav later this year. if i can't it would be great to try some kind of ninja fighting just cause it would be good cardio and strength

Here's a link to my calorie-tracking sheet if anyone's interested. I added instructions (on the second sheet) to help get you started. I designed it for losing weight but it should work just as well for maintaining weight or even gaining weight if you need such a thing. I haven't confirmed full compatibility with OpenOffice but there aren't any macros so it should hopefully work smoothly.

I have a couple basic recommendations for using this system. Get a good, high-quality bathroom scale. If you don't want to drop several hundred on a medical-quality scale (I certainly didn't), you should look for a digital bathroom scale that uses a strain gauge system. They're pretty easy to identify because they typically have four circular metal gauges - one at each corner. Graduation isn't that important: 0.5 lb (0.2 kg) or better is good enough. The most important thing is consistency. If you step on the scale twice and it gives you the same reading, that's a good sign.

The second essential tool is a good kitchen scale (and measuring spoons/cups if you don't have them). Again, look for a digital scale with a graduation of 2 grams or better. The scale will be your best friend - it's the easiest way to measure portions, bar none. This game is about reverse engineering your metabolism, and you want the best measurement tools at your disposal.

@Eli Did you ever look into Krav Maga? I've been curious about that martial art for ages, just don't know anyone that's ever tried it to get an opinion off.

Posted By: Ferros@Eli Did you ever look into Krav Maga? I've been curious about that martial art for ages, just don't know anyone that's ever tried it to get an opinion off.

KravStorm likes it so much, it's part of her handle! I'm sure if you ask nicely, she'll answer whatever questions you have about it.

She's pretty active on twitter, if you want a quick response. Also, Denise has a photo set on her Flickr of her sister and bro-in-law sparring during krav maga.

I eat like...well, like a twenty-something stoner with a very, very fast metabolism. I know I can't keep eating like this for a while, but it's only a matter of time until I move in with the vegetarian girlfriend and,

I TRY to make up for it by biking everywhere, and swimming at work when there's a lull in patron attendance (I try to work on my upper body, seeing as the biking takes care of the lower, so I swim a series of 50s, mostly with a foam wedge thingie between my legs, and then end each with ten pull-ups on the diving block, with the tenth pullup being held for ten seconds). It's not much, I know, but I'm working on getting better about it.

Posted By: inzaderI'm quite young, but I started hitting the gym a few weeks ago. It's fun but HARD! A friend and/or ipod is reccommended.

HE is great at the gym,

HEP would not be great at the gym, for me personally. I tend to laugh hard at some of the comments and I get stared at enough for listening to it on my iPod when I'm walking, shopping, etc.

Posted By: Mike BradyHere's a link to my calorie-tracking sheetif anyone's interested. I added instructions (on the second sheet) to help get you started. I designed it for losing weight but it should work just as well for maintaining weight or even gaining weight if you need such a thing. I haven't confirmed full compatibility with OpenOffice but there aren't any macros so it should hopefully work smoothly.

In case you were still wondering, I got it to open wonderfully in Open Office.

You're comment about getting a good scale is a great one. I have a really cheap one from a while ago when I was living on my own and it tends to lie about your weight for the first two-five readings. I know it sounds funny, but today it kept telling me that I had gained ten pounds since yesterday. I walked off, left it for a while so I could resist the urge to smash it, then weighed myself again. Same weight as yesterday.

Posted By: MiyabinajiyoujiYou're comment about getting a good scale is a great one. I have a really cheap one from a while ago when I was living on my own and it tends to lie about your weight for the first two-five readings. I know it sounds funny, but today it kept telling me that I had gained ten pounds since yesterday. I walked off, left it for a while so I could resist the urge to smash it, then weighed myself again. Same weight as yesterday.

Yeah I actually went through a Luddite phase with scales when I felt like analog scales could always be trusted more than digital, because it's easy to take them apart and see how they work. I don't really understand that logic now, but it made sense at the time. Long story short: digital scales are far superior, end of story, end of line, carriage return line feed.

Anyway Miya, I know you've started losing recently. How's it going? Any updates from other losers? (pun intentional) I'm down 20 lbs. from the beginning of the year and it feels pretty great. The other day I actually felt lighter while walking around, and that's a good feeling. I regret not taking a "before" picture, because I can't see the difference and neither can my wife but everyone else that I haven't seen in a while has immediately noticed that I've lost weight. It's nice to get to the point when you start getting positive feedback. Hang in there!

I'm down 21 kilos (40 pounds?) since the start of December and I just joined the local police gym, $40 a year! I'm going to get my cardio fitness up some more and start boxing/kick-boxing.

Posted By: jessie_monsterI'm down 21 kilos (40 pounds?) since the start of December and I just joined the local police gym, $40 a year! I'm going to get my cardio fitness up some more and start boxing/kick-boxing.

Nice!!

My favorite cardio is cycling, but I'll be neck-deep in dissertation and attempting to resume med school just as the weather gets nice so I may have to find an alternate method. I'd love to get back into Tae Kwon Do but there's no chance I can afford that right now. Jogging/running is absolutely not a good fit for me. I do have a stationary recumbent bike at home so I might just have to continue with that.

Anyway, congratulations on your loss! (How often do you get to say that?)

I'd like to get a spinning bike. I get to sit and get my heart rate up? And I don't have to go outside? Sweet.

The only way I'd lose thirty pounds is if I cut off all my extremities.

Posted By: Mike BradyLong story short: digital scales are far superior, end of story, end of line, carriage return line feed.

Anyway Miya, I know you've started losing recently. How's it going? Any updates from other losers? (pun intentional) I'm down 20 lbs. from the beginning of the year and it feels pretty great. The other day I actually felt lighter while walking around, and that's a good feeling. I regret not taking a "before" picture, because I can't see the difference and neither can my wife but everyone else that I haven't seen in a while has immediately noticed that I've lost weight. It's nice to get to the point when you start getting positive feedback. Hang in there!

Mine's a digital...but I think it's the cheapest one on the market. Anyone have scale recommendations?

I started my diet just at the beginning of March, so I've only lost a little weight. Depending on which number I want to believe from the scale I have lost between 5 - 7.6 pounds. Congratulations on the 20lbs drop, Mike. That's great!

How about goals? Is anyone setting goals? I made my first goal at 27lbs and also just to eat healthier. I used to do a lot of martial arts (about 15 hours a week) but I was in a car accident that damaged some nerves in my legs. For me, most exercises are a no-no at this point. It's better, I finally got the doctor to cancel the surgery when I came back from Japan. (because I didn't need it)

Posted By: John DarcThe only way I'd lose thirty pounds is if I cut off all my extremities.

That's hilarious. And a little morbid if you think about it.

Posted By: MiyabinajiyoujiMine's a digital...but I think it's the cheapest one on the market. Anyone have scale recommendations?

I really like mine, but it doesn't look like they make it anymore. Here's one that's similar, though. Those 4 black circles are the parts of the strain gauges. Your mileage may vary with different manufacturers, but strain gauges are the best technology you can find short of a medical-grade scale.