Exercise to get into it : An Unexpected Journey

[Fallen]

Nice job Dirtdives, and totally understandable Purplehazey. I'll enjoy hearing how your training goes as you prep.

I'm a little nervous for when I step on the scale next. The past couple of weeks were spent packing the house and moving. Moved into the new house now, so now it's painting, unpacking, and arranging for awhile. I packed away all of my dishes last week, so it's been primarily takeout for the past week. I feel sluggish from all of that takeout food. Even though I tried to choose healthier options from places, it's difficult to not have full control over the food that I'm eating since I'm not cooking it.

Going to the grocery store tonight, so hopefully I'll be able to get plenty of healthier options.

 

[Purplehazey]

I can relate on the scale! We are starting to whittle down the food we have here but, its going to be rough since we are starting to run out of fruit and veggies I haven't been eating well. Mcdonalds for the last 2 days. Chickfila+atleast 3 bagels today with pad thai for dinner. I need to seriously increase my veggie intake.... and cut the caffeine down...

You got this! I believe in you!

Thanks! its going to be a tough journey. Today is 45 min bike ride and a 20 min run immediately after.... Its just going to be a slow challenge and build up for it especially since the pools are still closed and I really am not comfortable open water swimming in lake michigan without lifeguards. I will probably start using instagram to post about the progress or a lowkey build thread if anyone is interested.

 

[Dirtdives2424]

Glad to see that I’m not the only one suffering from poor nutrition availability. We keep going to the supermarket and if there is a line outside my wife refuses to go. So we have been staying up late to get there w/o lines. A lot of late nights and cranky family members make for a real desire to get back to work. Who would have thought those words would would like a stay if execution from the governor!!! I really need to get back to work.

 

[Fallen]

Well made some progress. Got groceries and unpacked enough of the kitchen to start cooking healthier meals. Despite the convenience, I don't think I want takeout for awhile. Starting to feel less sluggish as I get back to cooking my own meals. I did step on the scale again and was surprised to see the number was actually down 3lbs since the last time. I was so certain it would be up that I moved the scale to find the hardest/most stable surface in the house to really verify.

New home gym is not set up yet, but I've pulled out some resistance bands and a yoga mat out into the living room to be able to do some simple workouts while getting everything in order. I hope to get a simple coat of white paint on the basement cement walls within the next couple of weeks, so it doesn't feel as much like a dungeon in order to workout down there.

 

[Purplehazey]

Woo! you all got this! Don't be crazy like me and try for a half ironman xD

Hey, so, triathlon training is going fine so far. I managed my longest run in months (3 miles). It didnt achieve the pace i wanted...but im glad I was able to go that far. I'll probably start just sharing some garmin weekly data to show how much biking and running I did.(what is swimming these days anyway) 11 more weeks till I have the plan completed for olympic distance before I take a week off to recover before going into half ironman mode.

I am looking to join a triclub once when I move next month so that I can be more accountable, network, and get access to training facilities and coaches to make sure I do not hurt myself. The owner has done only 27 ironmans.... finishing 6th in Kona last year (Boston Marathon of tri)

Grocery shopping today to restock the fridge. We are out of fresh produce and its stinks.

 

[Purplehazey]

Updates: Weight (no idea, i dont want to know)
Diet: Still crap but slowly getting better
Caffeine: Still at 400mg a day
Exercising: Was good but stopped.

I had a great week after my last post for training; however, this previous week, I ended up taking it off since I was cranking the mileage up without turning down the intensity of it. So, to my surprise, my legs started to ache in the not good way. I rested and kept activity down to help recover. I am going back to it with myself avoiding one of the brick workouts to avoid burnout. Just been in bummer mood during that week so that hasnt helped. Nor has my sleep patterns due to the dog being restless at 11pm or 12am :/

But hey, I have my printers working, buying a house, and not insane...yet!

Here is my schedule for the week: I am probably going to be running at night tonight due to appointment.

Good luck everyone!

 

[Sean Anwalt]

Weight is down from 234 to 218. I'm stoked. Picked up on the exercise and my diet has been good, until a week or two ago, when candy began sneaking back in... I'll need to cap that real quick! Sorry I haven't been better at posting here more regularly.

 

[Purplehazey]

Weight is down from 234 to 218. I'm stoked. Picked up on the exercise and my diet has been good, until a week or two ago, when candy began sneaking back in... I'll need to cap that real quick! Sorry I haven't been better at posting here more regularly.

No worries! I didnt run at all yesterday and I am having a bum daytoday... I might try and perk up with some sort of preworkout to force the issue on the bike since I find biking to be more enjoyable! Plus, i found a thing that hopefully wont fog up my sunglasses while I bike.

 

[TrUeKiLa]

So considering I may be a year or so late I plan on stepping on this plan. I'm not larger by any means but I do want to get back to my Enlisted shape so I can stay young as long as possible. I hope those that started this stayed with it and found the results they are looking for.

 

[Fallen]

Confession time: last week my diet was garbage. I ate way too many carbs and too much sugar and not enough vegetables.

I'm back to adding things in MyFitnessPal the day before to plan my meals and hopefully stay on track.

I've also added some stretching before going to bed. I've found that my calves are super tight, so over time I want to improve on my flexibility and recovery by stretching for at least 10min nightly.

 

[Fallen]

Focused more of diet last week. Unfortunately on Wednesday I wrenched my back during my workout, so Thursday and Friday I only spent time stretching. While I can't say that I have no back pain anymore after resting, I started doing low impact, low weight exercises with very limited rotation. Numbers have continued to slowly tick down. I'm down 14lbs from my start point and slowly closing in on my first benchmark goal.

 

[Fallen]

I've been going outside and walking mostly this week.
M - 1mi
T - 2.5mi
W - It rained so I connected my 360 and played Kinect Adventures (forgot how much movement you can get in some of those games if you try)
T - 1.5mi
F - Don't know yet, but probably shoot for 2mi

Also each day I've been doing 3 sets each of pushups, situps, and squats along with 30 second planks and wall sits. My last area of focus is ankle mobility. Historically I've had terrible mobility in my ankles and tight calf muscles, and it's lead to problems like shin splints even when I was in really good shape and running fairly consistently. So I've been wanting to tackle that early so it doesn't become an issue when I start easing into running again.

 

[tahu505]

W - It rained so I connected my 360 and played Kinect Adventures (forgot how much movement you can get in some of those games if you try)

A couple weeks ago I played Just Dance 2020 at a friends house and I think that was one of the most intense workouts I've ever done

 

[Dirtdives2424]

Well I'm back to work, and I'm sorry to say that throughout this whole furloughed time, I didn't do a God damn thing to help my health or weight. I did work on my house a lot, but not the bod. Not that I wasted that time....but I didn't manage it properly. Maybe over the summer I can turn things around.

 

[Fallen]

Haven't posted anything for a little while, so here goes.

Last week I made my goal to walk for at least 30 min 3 times and do strength training at least twice. I got 3 walks in (MWF) each for 40-45min and did strength training 3 times (T, Th, Sa).

I also managed to make more progress in my basement. I just need to clean up from painting and I can set up both my gym and mini workshop.

This week will probably be indoor workouts primarily as I've seen lots of rain in the forecast.

 

[Dirtdives2424]

Hey guys, I have a great update. I broke down and agreed to my wife's suggestion of seeing a nutritionist. Went to the Dr first to get a baseline. I'm in good health but my good cholesterol is a bit low, need to exercise (DUH!!) a bit more.

So the first thing the nutritionist does, is have me tested on what is called an "in-body test". It sends electrical impulses through your body and can determine your BMI (Body Mass Index), your BMR (Basic Metabolic Rate), and a few other things. Glad to report that my BMR is higher than average.....but it doesn't explain why I'm gaining weight......The answer from the nutritionist: "You're getting old". Wow, don't sugar coat it or anything, just give it to me straight. In my head I was thinking......"What do you mean 'getting?'.....Anyway, I got my list of foods I am allowed to eat and substitutes for things that I like to eat. I also got a timeline of when to eat....which was annoying at first because I never know where I'll be during the course of the day at work.

That first week I felt like I was eating all the time.....Breakfast, lunch, dinner and 2 snacks plus 1 additional snack after dinner......That one is my only 'cheat' allowed. I kept is simple and very light. So there I am eating like a horse and thinking to myself (again) "This is ridiculous......how am I going to loose weight by eating so much and so often?" Come Friday, I go for my weigh in for the 1st week.....I dropped 10 lbs that first week!!!! By Sunday, my wife tells me that she can see my cheekbones.....apparently they were hiding in my face somewhere........Went to the beach that Sunday w/ friends and they also noticed....and hated me because 2 of the wives went to the same nutritionist and only lost 2-3 lbs that first week!!! Next weigh in I lost 3 lbs...the first week was mostly water loss which is normal she said.

So this is week 3 and with out realizing it, I had to tighten my belt another notch. I found this out because my pants almost fell off at work!! I definitely would have been pulled into the HR office for that one. I haven't gone in for my weigh in yet, but I think I'll sneak a peek and check before I go....

Still haven't gotten back to exercising or back on the bike yet, I'm just concerned. With the caloric intake being what it is, will that support my body? It takes more food to keep going than not exercising at all. The last time I had significant weight loss, I passed out during one holiday ceremony right in the temple......and that holiday is coming up soon.

Well, that's all for now folks. Hope all of you are doing well and keeping healthy and safe.

 

[FalseShepherd]

That's amazing progress Dirtdives ! Diet is certainly a powerful tool. People often do not realize how some of the seemingly benign things they eat can be holding them back with their fitness goals.

Diet is one of the more complicated things to get a feel for when it comes to losing weight. Often what works for one person doesn't work for anyone else. Often eating more can actually help you lose weight if you are eating the right things and in the right portions. The short answer to your question about caloric intake is "maybe". At some point, the diet will stop being effective for you to lose weight. At that time, essentially the nutrient and caloric intake equals the caloric and nutrient usage. It can definitely be risky to jump right into exercise and diet at the same time, because your body needs time to adjust. Increasing your exercise levels too steeply can definitely cause you to pass out or something especially if you have a period where you miss a meal or something. Always start a new workout routine very slowly to prevent this. You may want to increase your caloric intake when you start exercising, but be weary of how much. Eating a lot and exercising is how you put on weight, not take it off. That being said, you do want to keep enough food coming in so that your body doesn't panic and shut down.

I do not know your body, or your diet, or your situation, so, obviously, this is all just food for thought (pun intended). Also, I am not a doctor or nutritionist. Trust your nutritionist, and just move forward slowly. Let your body have time to adjust to its new situation. I think you will definitely be able to work out and meet your fitness goals, just be careful not to rush forward too quickly.

On a personal note, my old gym decided it wasn't going to reopen so I got a planet fitness membership. I went to the gym on Monday for the first time in a few months and did not scale back my workouts enough for a slow restart. Got winded, lightheaded, and am still super sore. It did feel good to get back into the gym though. Now that I am back working out, I need to follow my own advice and slow down (always tough for me to do) so that my body can make the change with me.

You don't have to make huge steps forward, just don't make any steps backwards! Keep rocking!

 

[Dirtdives2424]

That's amazing progress Dirtdives ! Diet is certainly a powerful tool. People often do not realize how some of the seemingly benign things they eat can be holding them back with their fitness goals.

Diet is one of the more complicated things to get a feel for when it comes to losing weight. Often what works for one person doesn't work for anyone else. Often eating more can actually help you lose weight if you are eating the right things and in the right portions. The short answer to your question about caloric intake is "maybe". At some point, the diet will stop being effective for you to lose weight. At that time, essentially the nutrient and caloric intake equals the caloric and nutrient usage. It can definitely be risky to jump right into exercise and diet at the same time, because your body needs time to adjust. Increasing your exercise levels too steeply can definitely cause you to pass out or something especially if you have a period where you miss a meal or something. Always start a new workout routine very slowly to prevent this. You may want to increase your caloric intake when you start exercising, but be weary of how much. Eating a lot and exercising is how you put on weight, not take it off. That being said, you do want to keep enough food coming in so that your body doesn't panic and shut down.

I do not know your body, or your diet, or your situation, so, obviously, this is all just food for thought (pun intended). Also, I am not a doctor or nutritionist. Trust your nutritionist, and just move forward slowly. Let your body have time to adjust to its new situation. I think you will definitely be able to work out and meet your fitness goals, just be careful not to rush forward too quickly.

On a personal note, my old gym decided it wasn't going to reopen so I got a planet fitness membership. I went to the gym on Monday for the first time in a few months and did not scale back my workouts enough for a slow restart. Got winded, lightheaded, and am still super sore. It did feel good to get back into the gym though. Now that I am back working out, I need to follow my own advice and slow down (always tough for me to do) so that my body can make the change with me.

You don't have to make huge steps forward, just don't make any steps backwards! Keep rocking!

Thanks for the advise FalseShepherd, and the encouragement.

 

[Fallen]

Down 20lbs now after making some changes to my plan. I've started walking 30-40 min every morning and doing a 30ish minute strength training routine in the evening. The only regular soda in the house is Dr. Pepper Cream, but it's actually not that good IMO, so I usually choose water over it. My short term goal right now is to drop 10 more lbs which is when I plan to start adding running into my morning walks.

 

[Dirtdives2424]

Hey guys.....well its been a bit over a month and I have been diligent in my ....diet?......uch I hate that word......body enhancement? No, body refinement......Body en-betterment!!! Wife is now making the joke, the the better I look....the better resale value I have......She's looking for an upgrade to a younger model. So I'm down 20 lbs, I've been able to tighten my belt 3 notches and have been out several times putting a butt load of miles on the bike......I even managed to fit into an old suit from 5 years ago......(don't ask, its my favorite suit and it cost a bundle so I never got rid of it even when I couldn't squeeze into it)......so all in all......doing good, feeling good, and yes....looking good .....that last one was for the wife.