[Taskmaster]

I'm getting a lot better, cutting down on meals and snacking during the day (essentially spreading out my meal) and drinking drinks with little/no sugar. No processed crap (except sometimes)

[P1]

Originally Posted by MisterSkiMask

Preach brother.

I have 2 kids I'm 35 and I'm finally sick of the shape I'm in. I have decided that I don't want to be the fat dad at the pool.

It's pretty easy to pay attention to your weight, and while I have never been a workout video guy I bought a kettle bell and a workout video with it. You can sweat through your shirt and kick your own ass in less then a half hour after the kids go to bed.

I also bought a trainer to put my road bike on in the garage but that takes at least 45 minutes to get a good work out. I have not been using it lately, I have been getting on my mountain bike once a week (for a couple weeks in a row) but I plan on doing it until the weather says I can't. Its as good for the mind as it is for the body.

Its pretty easy to go for a 20 to 30 minute run after the kids go to sleep, its just hard to make yourself do it.

Obviously the run assumes another parent is in the house.

It all starts with eating healthy mate. Easier said than done, but that really should be your first step.

I work from home, so the worst thing I can do it buy snacks. Because every single time I'll walk through the kitchen, I'll reach for a cookie. So guess what? I don't buy them.

[954Stealth]

Originally Posted by P1et

It all starts with eating healthy mate. Easier said than done, but that really should be your first step.

I work from home, so the worst thing I can do it buy snacks. Because every single time I'll walk through the kitchen, I'll reach for a cookie. So guess what? I don't buy them.

Big +1 to the diet comment.

I don't know who gets credit for this quote that I've used on numerous occasions
"You can't outtrain a bad diet."

[Uber V8]

Originally Posted by P1et

My wife has cooked for me since we've been married, which is for the past decade. All of the food she makes is with fresh ingredients. That being said, we don't eat like peasants. On some days we'll have a kale and beet salad, other days (like tonight) we'll have lasagna. I eat a proper breakfast (muesli) and then make a smoothie for lunch. On weekends I bulk out of controle. Pizza on Friday, and we go out to lunch and dinner both on Saturday and Sunday. Due to my job, I don't move much during the day. So I force myself to exercise every day. It's either a bike ride, or going to the gym. I don't like going to the gym due to the fact that I sit inside all day long, and the last thing I want to do is be inside AGAIN at the gym with probably the douchiest people in the city.

I really don't know what I could do to be healthier without being one of those giant losers that weighs their food and eats broccoli and chicken seven days a week. I'd rather shoot myself.

Wifey is similar to yours. She is an extreme health and fitness junkie, plus she's a nurse so seh has exposed me to some of the tastiest and healthiest meals I've had in my life. I'm thankful for her because I'd probably be eating frozen dinners every night if I were still single.

Originally Posted by MisterSkiMask

Preach brother.

I have 2 kids I'm 35 and I'm finally sick of the shape I'm in. I have decided that I don't want to be the fat dad at the pool.

It's pretty easy to pay attention to your weight, and while I have never been a workout video guy I bought a kettle bell and a workout video with it. You can sweat through your shirt and kick your own ass in less then a half hour after the kids go to bed.

I also bought a trainer to put my road bike on in the garage but that takes at least 45 minutes to get a good work out. I have not been using it lately, I have been getting on my mountain bike once a week (for a couple weeks in a row) but I plan on doing it until the weather says I can't. Its as good for the mind as it is for the body.

Its pretty easy to go for a 20 to 30 minute run after the kids go to sleep, its just hard to make yourself do it.

Obviously the run assumes another parent is in the house.

You're far too young to be out of shape man! Glad to hear you're making time for a little workout here and there. Consistency is key even if it's only 5 mins a night. Good for you bro!

Originally Posted by Billup

24. 5'8''. 135lb. Gym every day. Usually eat a mix of organics and regular food items. Pretty consistent diet. Don't eat out very often and usually stay away from fried food.

I don't think I could ever live as a fat person. It just looks depressing, and probably feels depressing. Not only because of the obvious health reasons, but naked fat is less than appealing. Shallow, yeah, but you know..., when in Rome.

Damn bro! Put on some weight haha. I'm on the thin side myself though. 5'11" 162 lbs. I'm averaging 4,000 calories a day so far. Probably need more to bulk up.

Originally Posted by Templar

I don't weigh shit or constantly count calories. That's really no way to live. If you are doing that, you really have no excuse to not be an absolute animal (ripped and huge and strong) unless your genes are just horrible. But what do we all do in our daily lives that we need to be like that? Counting calories blows, anyone saying otherwise is full of it. Work out hard and eat decent and you'll be healthy enough. You're not going to die because you ate 2000 calories one day instead of 1800. Obviously inactivity coupled with a 4000 calorie surplus is going to have a negative impact, but that shows a complete lack of self-control IMO.

I just lift like a machine Monday thru Friday and run a few times a week in addition. Total of about 8 workouts per week, give or take. Remember, recovery is just as important (sleep and down time). I do my best to get 8 hours a night. I also usually eat very healthy during the week. I control my portions based on size (appearance), not by how much they weigh or the calorie content necessarily, i.e. a deck of cards for meat portion. I avoid sugars and dairy completely. I will sometimes have a cup of BLACK coffee, none of the BS added to it. I do eat some grains, but not often (maybe twice a week). On the weekend I will have a splurge if I am feeling it, but usually my good habits during the week carry me into the weekend. If my wife happens to be working the weekend (which happens often), I usually just eat leftovers from meals I prepared. It's when she is not working that we have a problem, because then we go out to eat. I try to get a healthier option though. Chicken or fish instead of the burger with fries. Will get a nice steak though from time to time, nothing wrong with that.

I'm not as healthy as I was in college though, but then again I was a D1 athlete, swimming miles a day and lifting/running on top of that. I don't work out nearly as much now, but I still hit the gym and run on trails or the road. I can easily run distances up to 10 miles and maintain a decent pace, although that usually only happens when I do the Army 10 miler. I typically run 2-3 miles when I do run normally.

I usually don't workout on weekends. I will take two days to sit around and not do anything or just spend time with family, but sometimes I do yard work or work around the house. Not exactly physically demanding, but I will work up a sweat.

There is a balance you need to maintain and so many people fail at that. I don't know how many doctors I have had tell me recently that fitness and health isn't just about physical ability, but what you have going on between your ears as well. Maintain a positive attitude and keep the negativity out and you'll be shocked at what you can do (and how healthy you can be).

Oh, I'm 30, 5'5" (short, I know), and 175 lbs. BMI says I am overweight, but actual body fat test tells me otherwise. Not many people can keep up with me in the gym, or pool, or on the road either, so I am cool with being "overweight."

Wow man, pretty encouraging post. The rest/recovery part is true. As a musician, I tend to spent late nights working and getting limited sleep, maybe 4-6 hours. I need to change that

[Uber V8]

Anyone here completely given up on soda? I have definitely cut down on soda, but I cannot avoid it completely. It is seriously like a drug.

[2011CrazE89]

Originally Posted by FwdFtl

Anyone here completely given up on soda? I have definitely cut down on soda, but I cannot avoid it completely. It is seriously like a drug.

I was never a big soda fan. Unless it's mixed with rum

[Billup]

Originally Posted by FwdFtl

Damn bro! Put on some weight haha. I'm on the thin side myself though. 5'11" 162 lbs. I'm averaging 4,000 calories a day so far. Probably need more to bulk up.

Pfffffffttt trust me, people have been barking up that tree for my entire life. Even when I eat like a horse, it disappears into thin air. Now that I have an actual work out regiment, that doesn't help me gain any weight either. I don't really have much drive to want to have a massive calorie intake.

I could stand to gain some weight. I have a protein shake every morning and about 8 full beers with dinner.

[Billup]

Originally Posted by FwdFtl

Anyone here completely given up on soda? I have definitely cut down on soda, but I cannot avoid it completely. It is seriously like a drug.

I drank Red Bull a lot during HS, but I never really drank soda, or anything other than water for that matter.

Now the only thing I drink is beer, water, and a morning coffee from time to time.

[954Stealth]

Originally Posted by Billup

Pfffffffttt trust me, people have been barking up that tree for my entire life. Even when I eat like a horse, it disappears into thin air. Now that I have an actual work out regiment, that doesn't help me gain any weight either. I don't really have much drive to want to have a massive calorie intake.

I could stand to gain some weight. I have a protein shake every morning and about 8 full beers with dinner.

If you want to gain weight, stop going to the gym every day. Seriously.

[Billup]

Originally Posted by 954Stealth

If you want to gain weight, stop going to the gym every day. Seriously.

As much as I would like to gain weight, I don't know that I can bring myself to stop going to the gym. I've been under a lot of stress for the past year and a half and its the one thing that's therapeutic for me.

[954Stealth]

Originally Posted by Billup

As much as I would like to gain weight, I don't know that I can bring myself to stop going to the gym. I've been under a lot of stress for the past year and a half and its the one thing that's therapeutic for me.

I completely get it, man. It can be very cathartic and I see the same benefit from the gym as well

[2011CrazE89]

I’m pretty sure I hold the record for the shortest gym membership. I joined LA Fitness on a Thursday morning. Thursday afternoon I cancelled. Completely threw away the $95.00 membership fee along with the first month of $37.00. Took me longer to cancel than it did to join.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by FwdFtl

Looks like I have plenty of room to improve haha

Indeed!

Originally Posted by Myrder

Also BMI is a poor judge of health.

Wrong! BMI is a pretty damn good indication of overall health. Subcutaneous fat and visceral fat are huge indicators. In other words, your internal organs won't have fat layers on them if you have very little fat under the skin.

Originally Posted by Ehwnnc

id rather die than be one of those people weighing there damn food

You're probably not the body builder type, so that lifestyle likely isn't for you.

Originally Posted by PINeely

Hear, hear.

Reminds me of a guy I used to know who was on that minimalist diet. He and his wife would eat 1 fruit, 1 veggie, one bag of beef jerky a day (all of which they weighed). He died about 3 years ago of pancreatic cancer at age 44.

Horrible analogy! A minimalist diet is far removed from a diet where an individual is monitoring their micro/macronutrients for the purposes of achieving a certain 'look'. They are not interrelated.

[Billup]

Originally Posted by 2011CrazE89

I’m pretty sure I hold the record for the shortest gym membership. I joined LA Fitness on a Thursday morning. Thursday afternoon I cancelled. Completely threw away the $95.00 membership fee along with the first month of $37.00. Took me longer to cancel than it did to join.

The cost of some gym memberships is outrageous. I'm sorry, but I don't really want to spend $70 a month when I don't utilize the whole facility.

Thankfully the Eaton plant I'm at has a gym up front that I have access to, which makes working out much easier and a more attainable activity. Plus, it doesn't cost anything which is nice.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Templar

I don't weigh shit or constantly count calories. That's really no way to live. If you are doing that, you really have no excuse to not be an absolute animal (ripped and huge and strong) unless your genes are just horrible. But what do we all do in our daily lives that we need to be like that? Counting calories blows, anyone saying otherwise is full of it. Work out hard and eat decent and you'll be healthy enough. You're not going to die because you ate 2000 calories one day instead of 1800. Obviously inactivity coupled with a 4000 calorie surplus is going to have a negative impact, but that shows a complete lack of self-control IMO.

It depends on how you define "living". Some people like myself enjoy being really muscular, lean and vascular. It's not a lifestyle for everybody nor is it easy to achieve. It takes a significant amount of diligence, self-control and preparation to build a body like that (..and boy does clean eating make that one dirty meal a week seem better than sex). It's a lifestyle choice, and the people who are into that enjoy that lifestyle. People use the "that's no way to live" and "counting calories blows" type comments/arguments to attempt to mitigate accountability (...I'm speaking generally). They are also usually the people who follow fad workouts and fad diets, and complain when they don't achieve the results they wanted (..again, speaking generally); the same people who believe that crunches and sit-ups are the way to a set of 6-pack abs.

Originally Posted by FwdFtl

Anyone here completely given up on soda? I have definitely cut down on soda, but I cannot avoid it completely. It is seriously like a drug.

I factor it into my sugar consumption, but I'm not overly liberal with it. Sugar in moderation is a GOOD thing!

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Billup

The cost of some gym memberships is outrageous. I'm sorry, but I don't really want to spend $70 a month when I don't utilize the whole facility.

Thankfully the Eaton plant I'm at has a gym up front that I have access to, which makes working out much easier and a more attainable activity. Plus, it doesn't cost anything which is nice.

Do you have Fitness19 locations near you?

[954Stealth]

I haven't given up on soda but I do primarily drink Coke Zero and - no - I'm not really concerned about aspartame.

[Billup]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Do you have Fitness19 locations near you?

Hmmm..., you know, I'm not positive. I want to say yes, because I just got an ad for a fitness place I wasn't familiar with the other day, but threw it out because I figured it was overpriced, but I'm not 100% it was a Fitness19, could have been Fitness World.

I know there are Snap, Fitness World, L.A., and a couple other mainstream places. I used to go to Power House back in Michigan, but that was years ago.

[954Stealth]

Originally Posted by Billup

Hmmm..., you know, I'm not positive. I want to say yes, because I just got an ad for a fitness place I wasn't familiar with the other day, but threw it out because I figured it was overpriced, but I'm not 100% it was a Fitness19, could have been Fitness World.

I know there are Snap, Fitness World, L.A., and a couple other mainstream places. I used to go to Power House back in Michigan, but that was years ago.

It looks like there are a few locations in MI
https://www.fitness19.com/locations/michigan/

2 in NC
https://www.fitness19.com/locations/north_carolina/

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Billup

Hmmm..., you know, I'm not positive. I want to say yes, because I just got an ad for a fitness place I wasn't familiar with the other day, but threw it out because I figured it was overpriced, but I'm not 100% it was a Fitness19, could have been Fitness World.

I know there are Snap, Fitness World, L.A., and a couple other mainstream places. I used to go to Power House back in Michigan, but that was years ago.

If it was overpriced it surely wasn't a Fitness19. I pay $5 a month for an all-club membership. It started at $15 (..still extremely affordable), and with every referral they subtract $1 until you reach the minimum of $5. There are loads of locations here in Southern California. I used to be a trainer part-time at 24HourFitness back in the day, and I'm just over the corporate social club gyms.

Originally Posted by 954Stealth

It looks like there are a few locations in MI
https://www.fitness19.com/locations/michigan/

2 in NC
https://www.fitness19.com/locations/north_carolina/

Good find(s)!

[Uber V8]

Originally Posted by Billup

The cost of some gym memberships is outrageous. I'm sorry, but I don't really want to spend $70 a month when I don't utilize the whole facility.

Thankfully the Eaton plant I'm at has a gym up front that I have access to, which makes working out much easier and a more attainable activity. Plus, it doesn't cost anything which is nice.

I agree for the most part. Glad my apt offers a very nice and modern gym. It actually helps me a lot to keep a somewhat consistent workout schedule. If I had to drive to a location to workout, I probably wouldn't do it.

[P1]

Originally Posted by FwdFtl

Anyone here completely given up on soda? I have definitely cut down on soda, but I cannot avoid it completely. It is seriously like a drug.

I used to enjoy a Dr. Pepper when I was in my 20s, but I don't drink them anymore. They don't even taste good. I would have a hard time finishing an entire can.

I bought the Tazo Iced Passion ice tea and it's the best.